Blurring the Lines
by VioletFauxpa
Summary: When abandoned, Wolf Pack discovers that the only way to live is to truly become a cohesive team, but that is always easier said than done. Fin.
1. Survive

At first, it was a blast. Busting skulls and snapping limbs, it was like a game. Sure, they were there for a very serious reason. Elimination. Find and destroy anything incriminating, and then some, just for good measure. But, just because they were being kept on a very short leash, didn't mean they didn't deserve a few treats. First, they kept a tally on the number of kills. They downed any passing threat without a thought. Even enemies that were far away and completely unaware of their presence were up for grabs. Then, whilst in the height of eagerness and drowning in their own pride, they found it more interesting to bring the fights closer. Hand to hand, and knife to throat. Simply shooting the infected from a few feet away wasn't enough to gather any bragging rights. So, naturally, it was only fitting to increase the danger by lessening the distance. Close Quarters Combat, or CQC for all the experts, was the only way to play the game and get the results.

It wasn't until the scientist, codename Four Eyes, started running out of antivirals that the severity of the situation began to outweigh the appeal of the sport. Then, next to go was the supplies. The whole reason the game switched from guns to knives was that they were becoming short on ammunition, and the ammo dumps provided by Command were showing up less and less. Not to mention the medical supplies. By the time Four Eyes was sapped of her resources, the medic, codename Bertha, was already having to compensate. Not only was it Command's job to provide them with ammunition, but it was also up to Command to deliver them refills of medicinal and antiviral supplies. While Four Eyes and Bertha could generate their own supplies over time, they were far out of their comfort zone. By the time Four Eyes could muster up enough to make a crude antiviral supplement someone else would turn around and contract the sickness. It was too hard to scavenge and be diligent in continuing the mission...

Mission. No one could recall when it happened exactly, that Command determined the expendable, but once they heard that they had been abandoned things began to unravel past the point of mending. They were never a family, just a group. They were people from all different walks of life, who went through their own individual trials and excelled in their own fields. The only reason they were together was because they were being paid, and they were being paid enough to risk their lives without so much as a thought. They had gone beyond the call of duty as far as they were concerned. They did everything they were instructed to do. Listened to Command, followed like obedient dogs. Sure, they might have enjoyed themselves too much, and may have even been around to see something terrible happen, but ultimately nothing happened because of them. They didn't deserve to be deserted, but they still were in the end.

Depleted and hungry, they fought on their own, trying to stay alive in order to get back to Command and prove how useful they could truly be. But, as they pushed through the city, running from hideout to hideout, moral began to crumble away. They may have been professionals, but even professionals would have needed something personal to hold on to. Maybe they'd get to know each other, shake hands once or twice and find out their favorite sports and colors. Or, at least, catch each other's first name. Instead, they stayed together, and said nothing of any significance. Silence and death was all they heard for a while.

They lost the Russian first, codename Spectre, to a group of infected not two hours after being shunned by Command. Out of all of them, he was the one that spoke the least, and when he did, he spoke in slow, heavy breaths. It was something that might have sparked questions in others less seasoned. Then, after another night of Command still giving them the silent treatment, recon, codename Vector, vanished. He was clearly upset when they last spoke with Command. His voice wasn't as steady, and his actions were far more unpredictable after that point. Having the skills he had, he probably just turned on his cloaking device and checked out while everyone else was recuperating. When he was discovered to be gone no one was upset. They just picked themselves up and continued on. They had to get out of Raccoon, and judging by how often assault, codename Lupo, kept looking at her watch, their escape needed to be quick.

It seemed like only an hour ago they were all making light of the situation, making games out of a situation that would prove to be no less than war. Now there were only four of them left. No more games. Things had to change, and the luxury of anonymity was one that they could no longer afford. They stayed together with their guns pointed in the four major directions, but kept to themselves. Luckily, they stayed alive. Once they made it to an abandoned store and hunkered down things began to change.

Demolition, codename Beltway, was the first to take notice of the food scattered around the debris. Little boxes of cereal. Nothing extravagant, but it was food. He gathered a few for himself. It felt like a glimmer of hope was beginning to take form as he looked at the cereal. It was the kind with the flakes, his favorite. He heard the three women begin to settle into their corners of the room as he made his way to a wall. The women were beat up, bruised, and joyless. He felt, for maybe the first time in his life, guilty. He found a reward for himself, and even if it wasn't much it was apparently more than any of them had. As he looked at them, their skin caked with sweat and dirt, and their eyes closed, he knew he couldn't spend another night with no one but himself and his thoughts. He heard Lupo in the corner closest to him beginning to shift. He looked at her, and was finally able to see the true extent of her exhaustion. Her hand rubbed her stomach briefly, then went back to her side. It was a small window of physical weakness, but one that Beltway was there to witness.

"Ay, Loop," Beltway spoke up, his voice clearly surprising to the others as two of them jumped slightly.

"Beltway?" Lupo's voice was rough. "What is it?" She wasn't entirely comfortable with him having given her an alternate nickname, but it wasn't her job to correct him anymore.

"Catch, Mami." Beltway smiled lightly under his mask as he threw a box of cereal to the team leader.

Lupo caught the box that was thrown her way with little effort. She looked at the small, dented box, and then back at Beltway. She was starving, and hadn't even noticed it until she looked at the cereal. If she hadn't been conscious of that herself, how did he know? Not only that, but that was the first thing any of them did out of pure kindness towards one another. She looked over towards the others. Bertha was looking outside, detached, but Four Eyes was looking at the box that Beltway had thrown her. Four Eyes looked a little surprised, too, so Lupo just tried to roll with it.

"Thanks, uh... Belt." Lupo felt stupid, but she tried to adapt. He gave her a new nickname, so she gave him one, too. "Hadn't noticed how hungry I was." She opened the box and tore the bag inside.

"Name's Hector. We're off the clock now, so no need to keep acting official." Beltway tore into a box of cereal, rage beginning to flood his veins. "Those fuckers can suck my dick, leaving me out here. I wanna break as many of their rules as I can!"

At that, Bertha turned her head towards Beltway. She didn't speak, though. She just watched him for a second before looking back outside. Beltway didn't notice her looking at him as he lifted up his helmet to pour the cereal into his mouth. Instinctively Lupo and Four Eyes averted their eyes. It was against policy to see a teammate's face unless completely necessary. And, even then, it was frowned upon. Beltway laughed as he chewed. They were stubborn, he'd give them that much.

"Ladies, look. We ain't their little play things anymore. We're expendable, _always _been expendable. The sooner you guys figure that out, the better." He sighed as he moved his mask back over his face. They wouldn't look at him without it.

"It's true they've left us, but deep down we always knew that it could happen at any time." Lupo said as soon as Beltway put his mask back on. She took a few flakes of cereal and brought them up to her face, lifting her mask just enough to slip her finger under.

"Correct. Breaking their rules now is nothing more than a pathetic attempt at retaliation. Nothing but wasted energy." Four Eyes' voice was a new sound that they hadn't heard in hours.

"Bitch," Beltway looked at her swiftly, peeved at the whole situation. "maybe this kinda thing ain't right for you, but it sure as hell feels good to me!" Beltway began to speak with his hands, pointing hard at Four Eyes as his words came out. "Maybe you wanna go out with your ankles behind your ears, but I don't intend on being so easy!"

"You can cuss and yell all you want, but when they come around _I _intend on getting out of here. This is just a test, and believe me, you are starting to fail it." Four Eyes didn't let Beltway bother her. She knew they would be saved. This was a test, and the weak were being weeded out from the strong. She was certain of it.

"Test?" Beltway scoffed. "You can't be serious?"

"Let's just settle down here..." Lupo tried to intervene, but was ignored.

"I'll tell you, I am being tested here. I'm being tested on whether or not I'll snap your neck!" Beltway stood up and began to walk towards Four Eyes, who was only beginning to stand up. "Shit! I think I'm about to fail, for sure!"

"Stop!" Lupo yelled as she jutted between the two and shoved Beltway back. "Take a corner, Beltway. Let's calm down." Lupo tapped her hand against Beltway's chest, telling him to take the corner she'd previously been occupying.

As things grew quiet again, the tension in the room began to settle. Lupo rested her head against the wall behind her as she sat on the floor. Even though there were still some varying ideas on what was happening, she felt she knew the truth, and unfortunately for Four Eyes, she was on Beltway's wavelength. Help wasn't coming, and if it was it certainly wouldn't be for them. They were left for dead, and it was up to them to get out alive, and while she wasn't at the point Beltway was with his desires for revenge, she was starting to have some ideas of her own. She wanted to start making plans with the others. Bring them in and work together to beat the odds and get out despite being thrown away by Command. She wanted to, but something was telling her it wasn't a good idea.


	2. Adapt

If there was one thing Lupo knew, it was that Umbrella was conniving. She always knew not to feel too comfortable while dealing with them, and that had worked for her. That is, until they started to ignore her and the rest of her team. Being but a statistic in the company's overall game wasn't what worried her the most, though. No, she wouldn't be surprised if something else was going on at the same time. Four Eyes might have been a little naive, but after hearing her speak her mind, Lupo began to cultivate a theory of her own. What if they were being watched? What if Command had been so certain of their lack of professionalism in helping to cause the initial outbreak, that now they were being put through some kind of exam?

Four Eyes might have been quick to spill her thoughts, but if she hadn't Lupo might not have thought of it. At any rate, they were still surely being monitored by Command, and Beltway's outburst most likely made all four of them seem guilty of perjury. They swore to Umbrella to serve every order without hesitation, and now that their order was to die with the rest of Raccoon, Lupo could already tell they were on a new hit list. Better to act fast and die trying than sit around accepting their fate.

"Who hear is ready for some bad news?" Lupo spoke up. As the others looked her way she began to remove the earpiece connecting her with Command. She flipped a little switch on it, turning it off, and put in back pocket. "Four Eyes' theory might not be that far stretched."

"Oh, come on, Mami. Don't tell me you're thinking that crazy bitch is right?" Beltway moved his head back and forth as he slapped a hand against his forehead. "You think we're in some kind of test?"

"Not exactly. But, I do know we are the only ones in charge of our _safe_ escape." Lupo then motioned towards her wrist, pointing at her watch.

Beltway noticed, and realized she was telling him to cut out his link with Command. She had already removed her earpiece, and now it was his turn, but he didn't plan on being as delicate about it. Instead, he slammed his wrist against the wall, crushing the watch and causing a mechanical pop to emanate from its destroyed frame. "Fuckin' retard..." Beltway hissed to himself. How stupid was he, really? He talked openly about wanting to stick it to Umbrella, but he hadn't even made sure his link with them was really gone. Lupo might have just saved his life, if it was too late already.

Lupo looked at Bertha, who had been eerily silent since they were abandoned. She must be pissed, is all Lupo could imagine, but she couldn't tell. Honestly, the blonde woman made her uneasy. But, as Lupo watched her, Bertha reached up to her ear and took out her earpiece. As she took it in her hand, she mimicked Beltway in his anger. She slammed it against the floor, breaking it with ease. Then, without a word, she moved her gaze over to Four Eyes.

Four Eyes wasn't comfortable with the change in tactics. If this was a test, she was the only one still passing it. If she cut off her link to Command, she'd surely be labeled as a defector. But, at the same time, if she didn't follow suit, the others would see her as a true threat, and no telling what they would do then. She was immobile. She couldn't decide what to do. It wasn't until Beltway shuffled over to her, kicking his way through trash and debris, and snatched the earpiece from her ear that she caught up with reality. She reached for her earpiece, but his hand was too fast. She got to her feet and fought to get it out of his grip, but he wasn't giving her an inch. He held it above her, forcing her to jump for it. She caught his wrist, and he let her pull it down. Her hands fought to get inside and save the earpiece, but his hand was too big for her to manage.

"Asshole! Give it back!" Four Eyes cursed as she studied his clenched fist, looking for a weak point.

"You really are a crazy cunt." With that, Beltway shoved Four Eyes away, pushing her off her feet and sending her head hard into the wall behind her as she stumbled over garbage.

"Beltway!" Lupo stood up as she saw Four Eyes slam into the wall. He was right, they needed to cut off her connection with Command, but he had completely overstepped his boundaries.

"Sorry, Mami, but this little bitch ain't gettin' me killed cuz she can't wake up and see the truth!" With that he crushed the earpiece in his hand, and then sprinkled the bits and pieces over Four Eye's, who wasn't moving.

Lupo shoved Beltway from Four Eyes as she knelt down to get a better look at the damage. She was still breathing, she could see her chest rising. She must have just been knocked out. Lupo placed a hand on the back of Four Eyes' head and checked for damage. When she looked at her hand it was covered in blood. Not good, but hopefully not fatal.

"Bertha! We need a medic's eyes over here!" Lupo called to the blonde woman.

Betha stood up casually and walked over to the two women. On her way she looked at Beltway, her gaze unwavering. When his eyes met hers she didn't break the connection. He shifted his weight slightly without speaking, but as Bertha got closer to the other women he merely grunted.

"What? Cat got your tongue, Blondie?" Beltway opened his arms as he spoke, begging her to come to him. "Make a move, let's see who wins, you creepy cunt!"

"..." Bertha didn't speak, but did tilt her head to the side in response. Creepy cunt, that was a new one, and she had to admit she liked the moniker. "You wouldn't know what hit you." Bertha's words read with a tinge of giddiness. She wanted to fight him, kill him, feel his blood spill against her flesh. What did he do? Play with bombs for a living? Well, she was a surgeon, and CQC was her specialty. It would only take one, tiny flip of her wrists, and his head would be rolling around her feet.

"Oh? You want to try me? Please, I'm beggin' you! Give me the satisfaction of kicking another weak bitch's ass today!" Beltway puffed his chest as Bertha inched her way towards him, her head tilting back and forth, and her hand trained near her knife, waiting to strike.

"No! Stop, goddammit!" Lupo cut between them. She knew she was getting tired of Beltway and his sexist remarks, but they still needed to stick together. "Quit trying to kill each other! We need to be a team, stick together. When we get out of here, then you two can have at it!" Lupo placed a hand on Bertha's arm, edging her towards Four Eyes and away from Beltway.

"Humpf..." Beltway huffed. He wanted to smash that German wench's face in. He just watched as she tilted her head to the side again, her eyes still on him. She made his blood run cold. "Bitch..." He turned around and went back to his corner.

Bertha smiled to herself and turned to face the defeated Four Eyes. As she knelt down Four Eyes began to stir. She groaned a few times as Bertha lifted her up enough so that she could get behind her. "Wha..." Four Eyes murmured as Bertha began to part her hair. Bertha ignored her as she zeroed in on the gash in her scalp. She reached for her flashlight, and brought it to Four Eye's face. " Look into the light for me." Bertha commanded. When Four Eyes tried the first time she winched them closed. Bertha took it upon herself to open one with her fingers, and shined the light right in, mercilessly. Four Eyes hissed and fought weakly, but Bertha saw all she needed to see.

"She has a light concussion. Nothing too serious, but she will be weak for a while." Bertha announced as she moved back to the gash. "I'll have to... stitch it." The lust in her voice was palpable.

"Jesus..." Lupo cut a glance at Beltway, who only laughed softly, relishing in the damage he had caused. As she looked at him his laughter stopped and he looked away, waving a hand towards her. A silent apology. "Lucky you're here. I've only been able to do the crudest of stitch work." Lupo looked at Bertha now as she readied her needle.

"Indeed..." Bertha licked her lips as she brought the needle towards Four Eyes' scalp. "Scream, if you need to." She mocked sympathy as she began to press the needle against the skin.

"Uhhhh..." Four Eyes groaned as the needle entered her scalp. She held strong, though. It wasn't like she was being a limb removed. No use crying over something so trivial. She kept her composure through the whole ordeal, all the way to getting the wound sterilized with a brief splash of alcohol.

"Tough puppy..." Bertha sounded as if she was praising the Japanese woman. "Tis a shame..."

Bertha packed her medical supplies after cleaning them, then made her way back to her corner. She was a little put off that Four Eyes didn't even whimper good, but it couldn't be helped. There would always be another time her services wouldn't be embraced so comfortably.

"Okay," Lupo spoke as she stood in the middle of the small store. She searched the floor for foodstuffs, and came upon the cereal Beltway had found, and farther back in a demolished case were a few bottles of water. She handed some cereal to Bertha and Four Eyes, and then a bottle of water to each of them. "Pack it up, we need to move out. If we are being watched, this is the last location they will know we've been." Lupo squirreled a bottle of water away into her back pocket, then checked herself for anything that might have been loose. "And anyway, staying here is certain death."

"Certain death?" Beltway questioned, his head rising at the words.

"She means, this whole place is going to be cleansed." Four Eyes spoke up as she pulled a small roll of gauze out of her side pocket, and wound it around her head.

"Oh shit!" Beltway laughed at the thought of the place getting nuked. It was positively enthralling. "We're going up in flames, bitches!"

"Correction. _You're_ going up in flames. I have kept my word to Umbrella, and they will see how valuable loyalty is and get me out of here." Four Eyes closed her eyes as she could feel Beltway staring her down.

"Wow, I guess I didn't smack you hard enough! You still spouting that bullshit?" Beltway was astounded. The dumbass was going to die with her ignorance, and he was inclined to let her. "If that's the way..."

"If you are confident of this, you should stay here. Staying with us will only get you killed." Lupo cut in on Beltway as she spoke to Four Eyes. "You're a great virologist, and I hope for your sake, you are correct about Umbrella's intentions." Lupo made her way to the barricaded exit. She knew Beltway was with her as he started to get up and follow, but Bertha was still sitting in her corner. "I wish you luck. Bertha? What are you going to do?"

"Let's go. If she wants to die that badly, let her." Bertha got up and moved to the exit without looking at Four Eyes.

The three left the store, and Four Eyes, without a second glance. She may have still been breathing, but she was already a casualty. Lupo led while Beltway kept an eye on the rear. The streets were still clogged with the infected, but they casually strolled by the hands that were reaching for their throats. At that point in their journey, dealing with the infected in the most sensitive of ways was second nature. No more fighting, no more using the guns. At any moment a B.O.W. could point out of the sky, or from around a corner, and they were not as forgiving as the infected.

Occasionally they needed to stop and wait for a good moment to move. They needed to sneak around the B.O.W.'s, especially since Four Eyes was no longer with them. This hesitation was costly in terms of time, but it was essential to their survival. Then, after about an hour of hustling through the crowded streets and alleyways of Raccoon, they reached a train yard. It was a welcomed change from the city, as the train yard was expansive. There were a few dozen infected within the space, but they were more than manageable.

Lupo looked around the gated entrance. There was a small opening, the electronic gate not having closed all the way. She held up her hand to the two behind her as she told them to wait while she went in to check it out. She stayed low to the ground, her side against a train that appeared to be rusted to the tracks. As she got to the end of the train, and looked around, she began to feel secure. She turned her head to motion to the others, but as she lifted her hand a shot rang out and her leg gave way. It was too quick to be painful, but she knew it was bad. She tried to find where the bullet came from, but the pain began to creep into her system.

"Come out!" A woman's voice was loud and clear over the train yard. She knew Bertha and Beltway were there, and she was determined to bring them out. "Lower any weapons, and she'll be fine!"

Bertha led the way, coming out with her hands up. She had long since abandoned her gun, but her knife was still attached to the belt on her hips. "The knife!" The woman demanded. Bertha finally saw where she was. Perched on a rooftop on the other side of the yard was a woman hidden behind a air conditioning unit. She couldn't make out any specifics, but that didn't really matter at that point. Bertha reached down to unbuckle her belt, but as she did so she pulled a scalpel from her kit before throwing it to the ground, and hid in in the small of her back.

Beltway came out next and looked over towards Lupo. She was on the ground, and barely had the strength to throw her gun and knife to the side. She was bleeding badly, and the infected had already taken notice. As an infected man started getting dangerously close to her the woman on the roof shot him down. "Don't worry, I'm keeping my eye on her! Now, come out and drop those toys, Sugar!" Beltway could barely see her, but he knew to fear her. Who could she have been.

"Who are you, baby?" Beltway yelled out to her as he came into view with his arms up. He used one hand to pull his gun from around his shoulder and throw it to the group.

"I'm the one in charge here, big boy. Now," She responded as she aimed for Beltway's heart. "drop the pocket knife!"

"Bitch..." Beltway cussed softly as he reached for his knife and threw it.

Kepow! Another shot came out. This time, an infected woman fell to her knees without a head as she neared the crippled Lupo. Beltway was furious. He wanted to pull that sniper down from her nest and stuff her full of explosives. Stupid bitch, aiming at him! He saw her little laser sight return to his heart. He put his hands back in the air as the laser sight roamed his body. Then, he saw the little red dot rest upon his crotch. "Darn, Sugar!" He heard the woman shout then. He wanted to bash her face in. How dare she look at him that way, even if he might have liked it in a different situation.

Beltway put his hands behind his head as the red dot moved from his dick to his heart. Then, a door opened from the building underneath the sniper. Out came a man with his gun pointed right at him and Bertha. Then, behind him came a woman with brown hair and a bald man covered in tattoos. Beltway watched them cautiously. Spec Ops, he was sure of it. He was cussing inside of himself. He hated those pricks. They thought he was a loose cannon, liable of all kinds of crazy shit. So, he moved on and picked his side. Unfortunately for him, though, it appeared that neither side was the right choice for him.

"Who do you work for?" Called out the man with the gun pointing right for them. He looked down at Lupo, who was now under him. He didn't kick her, or bust her aside the head with the butt of his gun, but just looked at all of them. "What division are you from! You aren't any citizens!"

"Dee, we gots us some Umbrella goons!" The sniper called out. Clearly she saw an umbrella logo somewhere on one of them.

"Umbrella? Any last words?" The man called Dee asked as he pointed at Bertha, who was closer to him than Beltway was.

The man stayed where he was as he looked at the two standing soldiers. Bertha simply held her head high as she waited for the bullets to enter her body, and Beltway couldn't take his eyes off of the ground. He was furious, no beyond furious. He was going to die by these fuckers? Wasn't that his luck!

"Umbrella abandoned us. As far as we are concerned, fuck them..." Lupo spoke from the ground. He voice must have sounded sincere to them, as the man motioned for the bald man to come forward.

"Got it!" The bald man rushed forward. He shot a few infected that were wandering towards him, and the woman with the brown hair helped to clear a few out that were getting close to Lupo. "Just stay still while I check to see if yer hidin' anything..."

"Spec Ops?" Lupo huffed as the bald man checked her for any concealed weapons. "In case you're still wondering, we _were_ members of the U.S.S., but..."

"Enough." Dee cut Lupo off. "We're going to check you two out, then we are going to put in confinement for questioning. I'm assuming you'll tell us anything we want to know, at this point."

Dee moved forward towards Beltway as the bald man gently lifted Lupo up into his arms. Beltway couldn't help but look at the bald man's tattoos. It was some fine ink, that was for sure. Dee nodded towards Bertha as he passed her, signaling for the brown haired woman to check her out. When Beltway felt the other man's hands begin to pat at his body, he started to puff out hot breath. Fuckers. He had to stay calm, though. They had Lupo now, and out of everyone in the Wolf Pack, he wanted her to make it out of this. He wasn't sure why, though. He couldn't tell if they were friends, or just business partners. While the hands roamed over his body, checking pockets and patting against baggy areas, the little red dot left left his heart and moved towards Bertha.

Bertha stood still as a statue as the brown haired woman checked her for any hidden weapons. She was confident the scalpel hidden in her back would be undetected, and she was right. After checking her legs, the woman declared her safe, and with that she was pushed forward. Both Beltway and Bertha had rifles pointed towards their backs as they walked into the Spec Ops' makeshift base. Bertha saw several new faces upon entering, and they were all focusing on her. There were five inside, making that six of them altogether when counting the sniper on the roof. They were outnumbered, but Bertha didn't let that worry her too much.

Lupo groaned as she was placed upon a table. The bald man pulled back on his latex gloves before cutting away some of the fabric from her uniform that surrounded the wound. "Just a nasty graze, Girlie. Nothin' to fret over," he spoke to her. She was worried about their situation, but for some reason she felt coming into the train yard was the right move. She could have been wrong, but something told her these people had something Wolf Pack saw as a weakness. Compassion.

As their medic began to clean her wound and pat at it with cotton balls, the man named Dee walked over towards her. Lupo looked for Beltway and Bertha, and saw them on the other side of the room being tied up to a few pipes. Beltway looked pissed, as usual, but Bertha was calm. Neither one of their reactions surprised her, and perhaps them being restrained was the right idea.

"Now, it's time to talk." Dee said to her, grabbing her attention. "How willing are you going to be in telling us what happened here, and why you were deployed?"

"You heard me. Umbrella left us, caused us to lose the other half of our team. For them, I keep no secrets." Lupo talked through the pain of her wound being cleaned. "We were sent here to destroy evidence. Umbrella wanted all connections between them, and Raccoon City, severed."

"A cover up mission, interesting. And you say you lost half your team? Are the three of you the only ones left? Or, are there others?" Dee looked over his shoulder at the blonde woman and the heavy-looking guy that were tied up.

"Just us." Lupo said with a sigh as the medic began to stitch up her leg. "But I can't be sure Umbrella doesn't have it out for us."

"Yeah. As you have already said, Umbrella doesn't seem to like leaving any loose ends." Dee brought a hand to his chin as he thought of his next move. She seemed trustworthy, but looks could be deceiving. "Look, I want to trust you, but we can't be jumping to any conclusions. Harley here will fix you up, but then I'm going to have to insist you be secured, at least until we can figure things out."

"Ten-four." Lupo responded. She wasn't in control here, so it was a good idea to stay in line and follow the new rules.

"Muchly appreciated." Dee nodded to Lupo. "Name's Dee-Ay, and you already know Harley, here." Dee patted Harley's shoulder softly.

"Lupo, assault." She responded, and after she did so she saw him stick out a hand. He wanted her to shake his hand?

"Assault, we already have something in common." He laughed as she put her hand in his. She looked so shocked. He could only imagine what it must be like working for Umbrella.

After a few more minutes Harley finished up with Lupo's leg. The stitches were neat, and rivaled that of Bertha's work. He helped her over to where Bertha and Beltway were tethered up, and help her down easy. She might have been from the other side, but she had been nothing but appreciative and compliant, so she didn't deserve anything less, as far as he was concerned. He secured her next to Bertha, who never even looked over at him. Lupo looked at her, and she couldn't shake a feeling that had been nagging at her. Something was off. Was Bertha aware of it already, but couldn't tell her yet? Whatever it was, Lupo wasn't enjoying it.

The three of them sat there for a few hours. Lupo could hear Beltway beginning to gripe

more and more, but she couldn't see him that well. Bertha sat between them, so she could only make out the edges of his body. As she looked at the others, she could see them trying to figure something out. Dee-Ay just rolled up a map , and walked into a different room before they looked back over at her. They discussed something, but it ended when a red-headed woman raised her hand and started moving towards her. She looked strong, and Lupo was sure she was going to be asking her some questions.

"Well, hi there, kiddies!" The woman teased briefly, but her face didn't look like she was trying to be rude. "Let's have a chat, shall we?"

"..." Lupo didn't speak as the woman crouched down in front of her. Her red hair looked a little fake from up close, but Lupo didn't pay it much mind for long.

"Name's Tweed. Don't worry, I'm not here to rough you up. Besides," Tweed then reached into her back pocket. Lupo held her breath, but let it go when she saw what Tweed was holding. "It looks like you lot have already been through the meat grinder..." Tweed held a white cloth in her hand, and pulled out a bottle of water from her pant pocket. Then, after moistening a corner of the fabric, she slowly brought the cloth to Lupo's temple. "Why did you come into the train yard? Came to eliminate us?" Tweed just wiped away at the grime on Lupo's forehead.

"You are the ones that shot at us!" Beltway blurted out, seething.

"And you're the ones that work for Umbrella and came on our turf." She said back to Beltway without moving her eyes from Lupo. "Now, you may be sheep in wolves clothing, but how can we be sure?" Tweed started wiping at Lupo's cheek now.

"Because..." Lupo was exhausted. Not only had she been running around for days, but now she had been shot, so playing games was the last thing she wanted to do. "I just want to get out of here and see my children again..." Tweed's fingers stopped for a moment before continuing.

"You're a mother? I never would have guessed." Tweed let her fingers trace over Lupo's lips for a second. If she bit at her, she couldn't be trusted, for sure. But, she never did. "I mean, you don't look old enough."

"Please..." Lupo chuckled lightly, flattered. "Don't play games..."

"No games." Tweed looked down as she brought the cloth back and reapplied water before bringing it back to Lupo's lips. Now she was completely neglecting the other two captives as her sights couldn't be torn from the somber mother. "We _can _help you. If you testify against Umbrella, then none of this will ever happen again, and we can maybe even get you a pardon." Tweed sounded hopeful as her hand stopped cleaning and simply cupped Lupo's face.

"I'll help as much as I can, we all will..." Tweed's hand was a welcoming warmth. Soft yet rough. Like a man's hand, but so much better. She looked over with a smile to Bertha and Beltway. Beltway stood still from what she could see, but something about Bertha was off. "Ber..." Lupo began to say, unsure.

Then, shocking all within the warehouse, a shot rang out. The sniper on the roof fired a round, and then the sounds of scuffling could be heard, and then her voice. "Get off me, fucker!" She was being attacked, and everyone looked up. Lupo could see Tweed looking and she started to stand up. Lupo noticed the brown haired woman and a black man begin to make their way up some stairs leading to the roof. Then, out of the corner of her eye, Lupo saw it. Bertha stood up straight. No longer was she tied down, and she began to sneak up behind Tweed. Lupo's heart stopped. For some reason she already liked Tweed more than anyone else in her team, and seeing Bertha creeping up behind her made her want to scream. So, she did.

"Look out!" Lupo called to the red-haired woman in camouflage.

Tweed began to turn too late as Bertha held her scalpel in her hand, and swiftly brought it down right into the woman's jugular. Bertha made sure to stab deep, and it was so sudden that Tweed couldn't even make a sound before Bertha was bringing the scalpel back to cut through her windpipe. As Tweed's body began to buckle at the knees, Bertha reached for the gun she had slung over her shoulders.

"Help her!" Lupo yelled out, knowing already it was too late.

"Traitor swine!" Bertha said before whipping a foot across Lupo's face, knocking her out.

Bertha moved quick. Within a few seconds she made her way to a table and toppled it, hiding behind it for cover. The others were a little confused, she could tell. Who to go to first, the one on the roof, or the one downstairs? Bertha reached a hand up to her hair, and fumbled around. Then she pulled out a small needle that she had hidden in her hair, and secured by a strap of her mask. Quickly she stabbed it into her arm and stood up. She could hear bullets whirring by her, but all she could feel was a numbing adrenaline. Suddenly she was an ace. She aimed at the brown haired woman making her way to the roof, and fired. Direct hit. Like Tweed, she got her right in the jugular. Most thrilling. She started shooting at the black man, but he rushed behind cover. "Willow!" He yelled, as the brown haired woman clutched at her throat and began to collapse.

Then, with a slam, a door on the other side of the warehouse opened. Dee-Ay rushed her. She shot at him, and while some hit, they weren't good enough. In seconds he was on her, tackling her to the ground and throwing punches. She fell to her back, caught off guard by his sheer stopping power. He knocked the wind out of her when his shoulder slammed into her chest, but she didn't let that phase her for long. Swiftly, she rolled out of the way of his foot as it came down for a stomp. Then she kicked at his ankle. He stumbled for a minute at the contact, and ended up falling to the ground. Then, a bullet hit the wall next to her. Bertha fell to the floor in escape, and looked for whoever was shooting. Harley was hidden behind a steel column. She couldn't get a good shot, but she tried anyway. Once she forced him back into hiding she realized Dee-Ay was upon her again. She threw down the gun and readied herself. Like it was an invitation, Dee-Ay did the same. After his gun hit the ground he was on her with clenched fists. She dodged most of the hits, but a few struck. They were hard and mean. She could feel his anger entering her with each contact. While she didn't get as many hits as he did on her, those she did score were doubly effective, because she knew where to hit. She dodged a hit and retaliated with a jab to the neck. He tried to kick her legs out from under her, but she braced herself and shoved him back. Then, as he came in for a deadly right hook, she brought up an arm and guarded against it. She kept his arm there, and when he was open she brought her scalpel up and stabbed him through the eye. The stainless steel went through him like partially heated butter. In a second it was in his brain, and in the next Bertha was twisting it and pulling it out.

Bertha huffed as she watched her third victim fall to the floor, dead. Then all went black. A single shot echoed through the warehouse, followed by the sounds of a limp body crumpling to the floor. Beltway was speechless at the sight. Bertha had just single-handedly shoot one person down, and cut her way through two others. He was suddenly overwhelmed with a sensation of good fortune. What if he did try and fight her back when he knocked out Four Eyes? No way he would have walked away from that one! Now he watched as Bertha fell to the ground with a bullet wound in the right temple. He looked for whoever it was that fired the lethal bullet and saw someone he hadn't expected to see ever again. There, standing next to the door to the roof, was Vector, with his gun still pointed at the now dead Bertha. Vector had shot down his own teammate, and now he was aiming his gun right towards Beltway, clearly itching to pull the trigger.


	3. Reconnaissance

He was being ignored. Shut out and in the dark, just like everyone else. Only thing was, that wasn't what was supposed to be happening. At least, not to him. What was Umbrella's angle? Hadn't they warned him, trained him, prepared him for a situation such as the one he currently found himself in? Yes. But, of course, he never actually had to prove himself...

Umbrella was relentless. Vector had already been in their system for years. He entered into training far before the legal age limit. They recruited him after seeing such promise in him. He could have been an orphan for all they knew, or the youngest child in a well-rounded family, but Umbrella never asked about his life before they knew of him, so he never divulged. He wouldn't be surprised if the 'no removing masks' policy originated from him. He never wanted them to know anything about him, other than how willing he was to perform. Umbrella embraced his detached nature wholeheartedly. He was the poster child of Umbrella, and an ideal member of any special division. Not to mention, he was most suited to be the head of whatever team he would be placed in. Then, when it came time to offer his services by joining Wolf Pack, he didn't hesitate. They told him to take a back seat, to allow someone "less-acquainted" with the matters of merciless decision-making to prove themselves. That his job was to play it smart, and that his true abilities would be fully utilized. He accepted the mission. No more training. Now it was he who would be there to train the others.

Then Umbrella, like they said they would, initiated the plan. Sure, Wolf Pack was to fulfill their mission, and destroy any evidence linking Umbrella to the incident in Raccoon City, but there was always a second-tier in terms of Umbrella's mission set-ups. Business and entertainment, that's what Vector thought about it. Umbrella always wanted to be at the top, but they also liked to watch people squirm and suffer, even if those people were their own employees. Vector went through his 'un'-fair share of suffering already, and he was confident that he was beyond it. That is until Umbrella failed to fill him in on his next task. After the Command blackout he waited patiently, but patience can only lead to idleness. By the time they lost a member of their team to the infected he was in full panic. Umbrella didn't just decide to test the other members of Wolf Pack, but they wanted to throw him in the fire, too. Enough was never really enough, and he was finally starting to see that.

Hatred and betrayal quickly gave way to thoughts of revenge and escape. Vector was not their toy. He was not to be made light of. He wasn't going to go through another grueling 'exam' just so a few pricks behind some desks could get their jollies. And, even if he did pass this one, what was stopping them from turning around and doing it again? Nothing, because there was one thing he was sure of now. Umbrella had no morals. And, with no morals came no desire to uphold any level of decency or loyalty. He was in a dead-end job, and sadly he couldn't just give in his week's notice. He was practically bound by blood to their contract, and close to the only thing he could do to get out of it would be to die. But, lucky for him, he was an expert at knowing how to disappear. Even Umbrella wasn't aware of his full potential.

Vector looked at the remaining members of his team. He knew the mission that was going on now, even if Umbrella had thrown him a curveball, he was still aware of what was supposed to happen. He was supposed to supervise. Watch them, look for weakness. If they started to defect, or their training couldn't prepare them for survival, he would have needed to take a mental note and eventually challenge their affectability himself. Of course, he wasn't getting the orders now. He was just another contender. So, who was taking his spot at the mole? He looked at his 'teammates' carefully. Mustn't look too suspicious. Who was left beside himself? As they all rested he surveyed the group. Demolition, Beltway, hell no. He was too much of a nutcase. Leaders have restraint. Speaking of leaders, there was the "Mother Wolf" of the group. Assault, Lupo. She was already taking his spot at team captain, but he was made aware of the reason already. She didn't know it, but she was being judged in multiple ways, just like he was. She was strong, and professional, he had to give her that. But, he could see something in her eyes. It was something unspoken but contracting. Did she have a reason to take this job? Perhaps she had a husband. Either way, she might have been strong, but he didn't see her passing Umbrella's hefty regulations. She couldn't have been the mole. Then there was the scientist, Four Eyes. She was dedicated to Umbrella, he knew that much. Even when the group didn't realize, he was picking up their traits, their history. Everyone dropped hints at one point, and she was whipped. Anyone that let her do what she wanted, test her skills on live, human subjects, was able to win her over completely. Information gathering, it was second nature to him. But, as Vector's eyes rested on the last person in the team he could feel his brow begin to furrow. The medic, Bertha, was still somewhat of a mystery. He knew she was sadistic, and that she had no qualms over showing it. Other than that, though, her motivations were unclear. He wasn't positive, but he had a hunch it was her. Bertha had to be the watchdog.

Vector watched Bertha as she rested. If she was in the position he was supposed to be in, that meant she was no joke. If he were to start breathing heavier he was sure she would wake up. Alert at all times, rule one. Did Umbrella tell her he was being trained? Did she know to watch out for him? Again, he wasn't sure, but it was better to be safe than sorry. So, the way he looked at it, she knew about him, and she would be ready to take him out if he showed any signs of straying. What if it wasn't her though? What ways could he find out, eliminating any doubt in his head? Then, the second he started to comb his brain for an answer, it came to him. The tracking device. He just had one installed prior to leaving for the mission. After being accepted into the role of leader and mole, he was given a small chip that would track his location, so Command would see his every step. They inserted it into the left wrist. If she was the mole, she would have that chip, too. He needed to get that chip, and in order to do that she was going to have to die. He was a little worried by this. Sure, he was more than capable of taking ninety-nine percent of the earth's population out, but Umbrella didn't let just anybody into their club. Bertha was probably in that deadly one percent. His combat specialty was avoidance and infiltration. He was very accurate with a gun, but he would need a few seconds to line up his sights. What were her skills? Guns? Melee attacks? Handling a knife? Or, perhaps she was an ultra-threat, with a cornucopia of skills. Sure, she was a medic, but that could just be a cover. Why would someone expect a doctor to suddenly whip out a pistol and hit you right between the eyes with one shot? Currently, Bertha was a wild card, and to attack now would be reckless. If Vector wanted to get through her, and make Umbrella wish they didn't tease him with the grapes of authority, he was going to need to be diligent and invisible.

Vector picked himself up without a hitch. No sound was made, not even a tiny crunch of dirt under his feet as he crept to the exit. He looked at everyone as he made it to the door, and opened it softly. No one appeared to be roused. Then, he looked at Bertha. He still wasn't sure about her, but it would be her that would receive his full attention from then on. He didn't close the door behind him, not wanting to risk a creaky hinge that might not be as generous as before. Once outside he took a deep breath. He hadn't realized it, but he was holding his breath while he was figuring out what to do. He was nearly light-headed. The thought of being near someone else like him was frightening. Then, as it was, the mole wasn't like him. Whoever it was must have been better than him. As soon as that thought entered his mind Vector was enveloped in rage. No one was better than him, no one. Too bad for Umbrella, too, because they just lost themselves an invaluable asset.

There were a few infected roaming about the littered streets, but they paid him no mind. His footsteps were softer than air, and even without his cloaking device activated he was transparent as ghost. First thing first, he needed to get that chip out of his arm. After realizing that Command wasn't going to get back to him, he hastily demolished his communicator. So, the chip was all that was connecting him to Command. If he were to keep it in, there was no telling what would happen. They could report to Bertha, tell her what he was doing and where she could find him. She might already have eyes in the back of her head, but with them watching him, she might as well have a personal satellite watching him for her. It wasn't going to be fun, though. As soon as he cut into his skin the infected would be on him like sharks in the water. Even if he went invisible the smell wouldn't be able to be masked. He needed to get somewhere out of range. With stealth, he entered alleyways, looking for fire escapes. He figured doing it on a roof was the best bet. They might eventually smell it, but the wind would have distorted where it came from. Once he found a fire escape he climbed to the roof. There was an infected man up there, and he turned around once Vector heaved himself over the ledge. Vector tackled him to the ground and silenced him without a peep, then propped himself against a door leading into the building below. It was locked. The infected man most likely locked himself up there as a last attempt to stave off his inevitable death. All the better.

Vector rolled up his sleeve and clenched his hand as he looked at his wrist. He couldn't just stab and rip it out. The chip was protected by veins, veins that, if cut, could easily allow him to bleed out. Just one more feature of Umbrella's unyielding insurance policy. Vector wasn't worried about the pain. He was sure he could get through basic surgery without so much as a whimper, but he wasn't that familiar with it himself. He only hoped he would be able to get it out without too many sloppy nicks. Vector pulled out his knife and unclenched his hand. He could feel the chip in his wrist with his thumb, and as soon as he was certain of where to make the incision, he went for it. He watched the blade cut through his skin. His knife was a bit thick, not precise like the scalpels Bertha probably had. If he was sure the mole wasn't her, he might have snuck back there to take one from her, but alas. Instead, Vector carefully cut his wrist and then used his fingers to open the wound enough so that the chip could slip through easily. It took a minute for Vector to finger through his blood and tissue before he could see the sheen of plastic within his flesh. He kneaded his wrist, working the chip between his veins, and out without much damage. He was bleeding, and he probably would be for a little while, but he did the best he could without proper tools and experience. He was simply happy he didn't see his blood gushing out of the cut.

Vector noticed a fold out chair at one corner of the roof, positioned to where whoever had been sitting there could watch the street below. Next to it were a few bottles of water. Some unopened, and some emptied and toppled over. Then between the bottles he saw something that looked like yellow plastic. He hopped he was right. He got up and went to the chair, and was pleased to see that the yellow plastic was a small lighter. There were a few cigarettes strewn about, as well, but he could only find one butt. Water and cigarettes, what more could a guy want? Vector looked at the corpse, and laughed at his poor survival choices. If the infection hadn't killed him, his stupidity surely would have. Vector grabbed the lighter and moved back to the locked door, which was near the center of the roof, safe from prying eyes. He tested the lighter, and it lit without much fuss. Then, as he held onto the gas, he lifted his knife to the flame. He didn't have anything to suture or clean with, so he would have to cauterize. As soon as his blade began to smoke, and the tip started to glow, Vector placed it against his wound. It hurt, but the pain was a pleasant one, as it insured the bleeding would stop, and any bacteria around the wound would be dead. It truly was good fortune for him to find the lighter. Sometimes luck is what separates the winners from the losers.

He looked at the chip after placing his sleeve back over his wrist. He twiddled it between his fingers. As he gazed on it he could feel his blood boiling. Bastards. He started to snap the device, which would put an end to his connection with Umbrella for good, but then something stopped him. If he did that, then they would know for sure he had come to his senses and decided to defect. No, he was going to play a game with them, instead...

Cautiously, Vector circled the rooftop, scanning the streets and alleyways. Infected were speckled here and there, but he wasn't looking for just any infected. He needed one of those mean, red ones. They weren't as common as the general infected were, but they were still around, and one was all he wanted. Then, again out of sheer luck, he found one in a back alley behind the building he was on. It was searching, its arms agape and its head moving back and forth as it strolled around the debris strewn about. Vector watched it. It was burnt up a bit, its head and arms partially blackened.

"Psst," Vector let out, soft enough to go largely unnoticed, but loud enough to catch the crimson head's attention. It looked up at him instantly, enthralled. Vector could see it was a woman at one time, but the fire burned off her hair and had mostly charred the clothing off her upper body. He led her to the fire escape, so that he could climb down and reach her. Once he was directly above her, her appetite for him exploded. She clawed for him, and jumped savagely to try and get herself closer. Vector made his way down the last bit of ladder carefully. He couldn't get infected. No more Four Eyes on his side, so no more antiviral applications. As the burnt woman reached to pull him down Vector met her with a kick to the face. She toppled backwards, stunned by the force of his attack. Then, with much speed, he got on top of her and cut a small slit into her neck as he pinned her head down with his other hand. She started the thrash about when he pushed the chip into her neck. She stuck it deep, pushing it farther than necessary, but she was already dead, so the damage to her flesh and veins was a problem. Then, once finished, Vector stood up and jumped back up the ladder before she was able to pull herself up and catch him. He climbed back to the roof and led her back to the alleyway behind the building. He stepped away from the edge, out of range so that the infected woman could no longer see him. He knew that eventually she would forget what she was standing there for, or would just give up, and that she would start looking for something else. Vector waited until he could hear her grunts of hunger turn into moans of exasperation. He picked up one of the unopened bottles of water and threw it far down the back alley, almost to the next street, and took down a trash can that must have been empty, as it fell over easy due to the force of the impact, causing far more of an effective ruckus than he had expected. Fortunate. He watched the burnt, infected woman lock on to the noise, and bolt. There she went, and as far as Umbrella was concerned, there he went, too.

Vector moved silently back to the bottles of water, and cracked on open while moving away from the edge. Putting the bottle under his mask, he swallowed the liquid without a beat. He had been thirsty, and had neglected himself to get him to the point of becoming extremely parched. He was a camel, though, so after fulfilling his need, he wouldn't need to refresh himself for quite a while longer. He needed to sit in wait. Theoretically, he could have shoved off and made himself a new life right away, but that wasn't how he wanted this all to end. He still wanted to punish Umbrella for their unprofessional consideration of their contracts, and he was going to start by discovering who the mole was that was taking his position, and kill them.

As he waited, he took another bottle of water and drank it, making sure he was hydrated enough for another couple of days, if need be. Avoidance, better to make sure you don't get thirsty, than hope to find a source of water sometime later, and perhaps stumble upon issues. He had time to relieve himself and relax for an hour before he heard the four begin to shuffle into the street. He had a sound amplifying device attached to his ear, allowing him to hear their careful movements. The only person that would be able to get past it would be himself, and even though they were being careful, he could hear every movement they made, down to the lightest of sniffles.

His speed was another thing that none of them could match. With his speed and the device in his ear, he could afford to stay buildings behind them without losing them, or missing anything they might say. In particular, he listened for Bertha. Anything she might say, or do, was important. But, more than usual, he heard silence from her. Not even a heavy breath escaped her. Of course she knew he had left them, but could she have been on to him? Was she being extra reserved, because she knew he was following her? Perhaps Command was silently informing her that his locator had him placed somewhere else in the city, or maybe that wasn't how things worked. While he knew they did keep in contact with the mole, he still didn't know what it was they kept in contact about. He was in the dark, and he had to work himself through it, but that was something he'd always been accustomed to doing.

He could hear most of them beginning to huff. Keeping low and and a constant pace wasn't easy, even if he himself could do it for a day, easy. Eventually they decided it best to take a breather. Not call it a night, but just catch their breath before continuing onward. They had yet to discuss anything. They had no plan, no agenda, nothing. They were just running around to have something to do. The speed of decision making was nothing to be praised. If he were with them, he would have made a dozen different plans already.

As they rested, he listened from across the street. Quietly, he entered a phone booth that was almost directly across the street. He could see them roaming about, and watched as they eventually settled into their respective spots. He wondered who would speak up first, but he already knew it wouldn't be Bertha. Garbage surrounded the phone booth, and after closing the door he was fully concealed from any stray infected that might stumble upon him and blow his cover. He gave himself just enough of a leeway to peek at them without leaving him too obvious. He settled down and listened.

Eventually, Beltway began to speak. Nothing amazing, but he did say enough to let Vector permanently check him off his list of possible moles. He was careless, and it wasn't him playing pretend. Beltway was more transparent than Vector was whilst fully cloaked. He was all piss and vinegar, with seemingly no redeeming qualities. In a matter of seconds he heard Beltway sabotage himself, openly outing his distaste for Umbrella and their proceedings. If the infected didn't kill him, the mole would. Vector looked up slightly. He wanted to see their faces, or at least who was looking at who. If Bertha was showing any kind of questionable interest in Beltway now that he spoke his mind, then she was the mole. And, as he looked up, he could see her. Bertha was staring daggers at Beltway. The front window was dusty, and he couldn't see that well, but her blonde hair made her stand out, and he could gather their general positions just from hearing them. Vector huffed to himself as he watched Bertha giving herself away. Who he first mistook for as stoic and cold was really a very highly trained soldier that played her role perfectly. Too bad for her, that role was supposed to be his.

As he applauded himself for being dead-on with his prediction of who the mole was, he saw her turn her head and look right at him. Quickly he lowered his head out of sight. Had she seen him? She looked right at him, how could she have not? And, even if she didn't know he was out there, why did she look at the exact spot he was in? Command couldn't have told her, so it had to be her. She knew he was out there, she knew he was there from the second she saw he wasn't with them when they woke up. She might have been labeled a medic, but he was confident at that point that she could hold her own on the recon field, as well. She was a part of the one percent. She wasn't just some bitch with blonde hair, she was the ultimate threat. Umbrella incarnate. Even if she didn't know of his true intentions, of wanting to kill her, she surely knew he was out there, especially after seeing him just then. He couldn't underestimate where he stood. Always see the threat as deadlier than yourself, because overconfidence is almost more detrimental than lack of skill.

Even if she noticed him, she couldn't do anything about with the others still there. She'd blow her cover, and though she could probably take them, she was trained just like him. If there is a risk, and you have other options, sit back and think about it. Vector let his heart calm down as he continued to listen. As he sat there he heard Lupo speak. She sounded like she was with Beltway, or at least on the precipice of defecting. Then he heard the crunch of something mechanical. Beltway destroyed him communicator. They were starting to pull together, good for them, but they were so naive. Bertha was going to flay them open as soon as she got the go-ahead from Command. He then heard Bertha crush her communicator. She wouldn't have done this on her own. Command must have told her to play along, see where things go. She was a good actor, and by doing that she was surely free of suspicion. Vector listened intently as they decided their next move. After they felt secure, they could be heard gathering themselves in anticipation of moving on. Vector hurried out of the phone booth in case Bertha wanted to take a gander inside before leaving.

Vector fell back into the cover of a nearby alleyway. Infected began to shuffle towards the group as they left the store. Extra cover. They avoided every fight possible. If they had any bullets left, they didn't want to waste them by taking down any infected. Vector had long since abandoned his guns in favor of his knife. He was efficient with it, and the lighter load only helped his speed. As he followed them he noticed they dumped the scientist. He knew she wouldn't be smart enough to go along with the show. All books, no streets, that one.

They were moving faster this time, fueled by their newfound bravado. They were nearing the edge of the city. Vector had seen a map of the city before being deployed, and had it memorized. According to it, they were about to reach an old train yard. It was big and was a straight shot out of the city. In theory, they just needed to follow the tracks right into the mountains, and they'd be free. Of course Bertha and Umbrella wouldn't let them get that far, but the exit was still there.

When they reached the train yard, Vector found cover and waited for the sparks to fly. Bertha's audial link to Command might have been severed, but they surely told her to attack when she felt it was time, and that time was rapidly approaching. Vector watched Lupo head in first. She moved quick, and stayed low to the ground. Vector couldn't see her after she entered, but he could still hear her good enough. Feet hitting the ground, her body shuffling against rusted metal, probably her taking cover. Then he heard a shot, followed by Lupo hitting the ground. He looked at Bertha, but it wasn't her. Umbrella?

But the voice he heard sounded unlike any Umbrella soldier he'd ever witnessed. Soon Bertha and Beltway were being called out into the open. Who were they? Some other task force, that was clear, but who exactly he wasn't sure. He heard Bertha and Beltway tossing their guns and knives. They were either going to be killed on the spot of taken captive. Vector was betting on the former. Then, more feet stomping on the ground, and more voices. He listened as closely as he could, and got a little closer now that he could afford the distance.

"Spec Ops?" He heard Lupo utter softly. She was still alive, and Vector's answer had been answered. Spec Ops. The government had finally come into play. It wasn't a good thing for them, even if they were now dedicated to walking away from Umbrella, but it was far from a bad thing. Vector hadn't thought of the government getting involved yet, but now that they were, he needed to use it to his advantage. Bertha would be held off for a while, but would also be contained. He wanted, needed, to kill her, and to do that, he would need to get inside. Infiltration.

They had, at least, one sniper. He couldn't be sure of specifics, so he still needed to be careful. Vector reached the opened gate to the train yard and readied himself. He was going to need to sprint at full speed. The train yard was quite expansive, and his cloaking device was low of juice. With one last deep breath, Vector turned on his veil and ran for it. He looked for the building the others were taken to, and the sniper that was sure to still be on post. As he was running he saw her, hidden behind a air conditioning unit on a section of low-hanging roof. And, behind her, a door. He needed to get into that door.

Vector noticed metal drums stacked in a pyramid near a wall leading up to the roof where the sniper was perched. That was exactly what he needed. He sped through the open lot, his steps undetectable as he dodged infected. As he reached the side of the building with the drums he could see his cloak beginning to flicker. He was running out of time. Effortlessly, he hoisted himself up the metal containers and onto the roof. As he was halfway up the cloak shut off. He was visible again, and as soon as he was, she noticed him.

Shocked, she pulled the trigger as she hurried onto her feet and pulled out her pistol. She was fast, but he was faster. He got to her before she could fire, and twisted her wrist, forcing her to drop her gun. She hissed in pain as he continued to contort her joint, but then pulled out a knife with her free hand, and attempted to strike him. She made contact with his arm, but it wasn't a cut that went deeper than a cat scratch. Vector smacked the knife out of her hand and guarded as she brought a leg up to kick. Anticipating her move, he grappled her. She stood on one foot, and hopped a bit as she kept her balance. His goal wasn't to kill her, it was to subdue her. He was willing to work with the government, because they were the only thing that Umbrella truly despised.

Vector kicked the blonde woman's leg out from under her, sending her hard into the floor of the roof. She managed to keep her head up, avoiding damage, but she was powerless to stop Vector from mounting her. "Get off me, fucker!" She yelled into his face as he tried to settle her. She threw punches, but found her arms were then held at her sides by his thighs. She tried to kick him off, but not only did she not have enough muscle, she wasn't heavy enough to buck him off.

"Calm down," Vector groaned as he held on to the woman tight. "Listen, I don't want..."

"What? A challenge? You best not tempt me!" She spat out, moisture from her mouth hitting Vector's mask.

"I'm not here to hurt you! I'm here to help you!" Vector struggled to hold her. She might have been weaker, but she was still wiry.

"Ain't that a crock uh shit!" She retorted. She wasn't buying easy, but he wouldn't be in her situation, either.

"I'm from Umbrella, but I'm going to take them down. We're on the same team. Besides..." Vector lowered his voice as he tried to reason with her. "If I wanted you dead, you'd be dead."

The woman stopped struggling at his words. He was right. He beat her, and Umbrella lackeys would have wasted no time in putting a bullet in her brain, but there she was, alive. She was wary, but listened. She had no other choice.

"Good. I don't have time to explain, but I need to get in there, and take out that blonde woman your team just captured. She's no joke." Vector began to lighten his grip on her. He had no more time to fight her, either she went along or she didn't. Her team was probably barreling towards her, and he needed to move. "I need to borrow your handgun."

Vector got off the woman and snatched her pistol from the floor. She got up quickly, but didn't attempt to fight, knowing she'd be chewed out for believing him, but not wanting to risk her life.

He placed his shoulder against the door and listened. He could hear people on the other side, but then he heard gunshots from inside. Not at the door, but below. There was a fight going on down there. Vector held out a hand, telling the woman to stay back, but be ready. Without a pistol, she had to grab her rifle from its stand and ready it for mobile use. Not her first choice, but it was necessary. She was an excellent shot regardless.

Vector opened the door and took cover, waiting for bullets to fly. He looked inside and saw a brown haired woman on the floor, shot on her way to the roof. He could see a man behind her, taking cover behind a few boxes. He was looking at the woman with brown hair, and then saw him. He was about to shoot when the woman behind him stood in the doorway. She held up her hand and he waited. Vector could see the tension in the man's face as he looked at him. He wanted to shoot, but he followed his teammate. Vector nodded at him in appreciation and the man just lowered his gun in defeat, suddenly helpless.

The scene was raw. He watched the tail end of a deadly fight. Bertha was arm-locked with a member of the Spec Ops team. By her was the body of another slain government soldier, and Vector was suddenly aware of her abilities. She killed two already, and as he watched, he felt he was seeing her true calling. With a gun she was great, she shot the woman next to him from half a warehouse away, but with her knife she was like a ballerina. She was holding something small, and sharp. A scalpel. She was medic, and she had practically infinite access to her weapons of choice. Her classification suddenly made so much sense. What he was watching was the top one percent at its best, and the soldier had fallen right into her trap, her tangled web of CQC maneuvers. Vector aimed his gun, she was moving too fast. He had aim, but he couldn't get the sights lined up, and he didn't want to shoot the wrong person. The man appeared to be holding his own, though, until she did it. She bested him, with one sharp stab to his eye. Vector cussed silently as he aimed for her, knowing he was too late. As the soldier fell to the floor Vector fired a single round, catching the blonde assassin right in the side of the head. When she went down a hush came over the warehouse. The mole was dead.

Vector noticed Lupo and Beltway tied up, with Lupo being unconscious. Beltway looked up at him, and Vector aimed at his head. He should do it, just to be certain, but something stopped him. Beltway was an ill-disciplined mess, and Vector wasn't going to waste a bullet on him.

"Hey, come on, man!" Beltway yelled out, fearing for his life. "Don't shoot a guy with his hands tied behind his back!"

Vector didn't respond. He turned his sights from Beltway as he noticed the man nearest to him come out of cover. He pointed his gun at him again, but Vector only threw his pistol behind, towards the woman from the roof.

"Why are you here?" The man said, his African accent noticeable. "Speak! Or, I'll answer the question with a few shots to your brain!"

"Woah, now, doggie!" The blonde woman from the roof cut in, holding out her hands. "I don't know what's goin' on, sugar, but this guy could have butchered me back there. He ain't like them!" She persisted, stepping slightly in front of Vector, but not enough to catch a bullet if the African wanted to send one anyway.

Silence. The man pointed his gun at Vector for a few seconds, both staring at each other, waiting for any sign of movement. Then, with a wet gurgle, the brown haired woman gave a weak plead. She was alive, but barely. This snapped the gun-wielding soldier out of his daze. He rushed to her side, and turned her to her side. Vector stood still and the blonde woman moved towards her teammates. "Harley!" The man yelled out, obviously holding back his emotions as best he could. Vector watched, but already knew the outcome. A bald man ran as fast as he could up the stairs, but as he reached them, the brown haired woman gave one last hiccup of breath before she faded away.

Again, silence. The first to remember Vector was there was the sniper. She turned around with a clear look of dissatisfaction. "I tried to stop her in time." Vector volunteered to speak first. The fact that he was still there, unmoving, and handing himself over was proof enough that he had no intention of fighting.

"Who are you?" She asked him, her face clearly tired from the recent events.

"I am nobody. I used to be U.S.S., but now I'm..." Vector searched for a word. "freelance."

"Well, Mr. Nobody, color me unconvinced." She got closer. What she was doing was dangerous, but she felt he was honest, despite his anonymity. "_What_ are you?"

"I am a highly trained, ex-member of Umbrella's special division." She was smart. No talking in riddles around her, at least. "With all the intel on them the U.S. government could hope for. And..." She got closer as he spoke. The space was an unfamiliar one for him, but he didn't back away. "I'm ready to spill."


	4. Escape

Even though Vector wasn't very close, Beltway could hear him as he spoke. The words everyone uttered echoed freely throughout the open space in the train warehouse. 'Special division' his ass. Beltway wasn't even sure if such people existed, and one of them being in his own team? Unheard of. This mission, although important, was nothing a 'hypothetical' member of the special division should have been troubled with. What could have been their normal duties? Beltway hadn't a clue. For all he knew, he himself could be considered special division. The way Umbrella conducted business, under such heavy shrouds of secrecy, Beltway was lucky enough to still know his own first name, let alone who everyone on his team really were.

So, if Vector was special division, who else was? Beltway looked cautiously over at Lupo, who was still out cold. He could see her whole face now. When had she taken off her mask? Or, was it the red-haired woman that took it off? He didn't watch them too much, so he couldn't be sure. It could have been Bertha kicking her in the face that threw it off, now that he thought about it. It all was so fast, any number of things could have happened. He could see a gash on Lupo's cheek. It was bleeding profusely, flowing down her face and saturating the collar of her uniform, and coloring her exposed bosom red. He looked at her lips for the first time. He never imagined what she could look like, so what he saw wasn't surprising. She had normal lips, like any normal person might have. No scar, either, from what he could see. She could have been any average Jane, if it weren't for the military uniform that she wore giving her away. Special division? Somehow, he thought not. Then, he looked over at the dead medic. Bertha? When it came to her, he wasn't as sure.

The others were quiet now, and all that could be heard was the drip, dripping of liquid hitting the concrete floor. Beltway looked at the sound, and saw it was blood, smacking against the ground and forming an ever-growing puddle. Were the others were standing, on a metal grate walkway to the roof, there was no place for the blood that escaped the brown-haired woman to go, but down, and there was a lot of it. Bertha got her good, any idiot could see that, and Beltway was absolute shit when it came to anything medical. He was good with bombs, and bombs alone, but somehow blowing someone up wouldn't shed that much blood. Bertha didn't just kill them to kill them, she did it in a particularly cruel fashion. That woman up there having to slowly bleed to death. The red-haired woman, her death was magnificent in its execution. Quiet and quick, so much so, Beltway didn't even notice what had happened until he hear Lupo yell. And their leader, Bertha stabbed him right through the eye. No, no those deaths weren't just by happenstance. Bertha wanted them to die like that. Special division, the name suddenly seemed plausible. Beltway watched as the remaining spec ops members began to rustle. Vector stayed back, watching them, without a gun. Beltway huffed softly to himself in relief.

A wet sniff echoed through the warehouse, bringing attention to the African man. Beltway watched him as he scooped the body of his teammate into his arms, his face laden with grief. She was just his teammate, what was the deal? They didn't see him sitting around crying over everyone from his team he'd seen die, so what was the problem? Beltway couldn't understand, and tried to figure it out as he watched the man lead the others down the stairs, in a slow, funeral procession-like fashion. Dramatic. The blonde woman and the bald guy with the awesome tats followed him, their heads down and their weapons holstered. Once to the floor, the man carried the body to the table that had previously been used to look at a map, or something that Beltway hadn't been able to see. He placed her down gently, and brushed the hair from her face. He never heard the man choke, or whimper, but it was obvious the tears were there. Beltway watched the man with full attention, invested in trying to understand how there could be such emotion. He just watched as the man placed his hands on the table and leaned forward, with his head down, hiding his face from the others. He stayed like that, unmoving, while the other two members of his team left his side and began walking towards where Beltway was.

Beltway, losing interest, watched the bald man and the blonde woman as they neared him. So, she was the one on the roof that had looked at his dick. Bitch. He saw her point her finger up towards Vector, and motioned for him to come down. And, to Beltway's surprise, he heard Vector's feet begin to move down the metal grating in compliance. Now he was going to turn himself over, just because she told him to come down? Weak. Beltway was not about to bark just because some tart in camo shorts told him to. He was stronger than her. Watch, he'd show her up just as soon as he got out of his restraints.

But, she never came for him. Instead, he watched her bend down to check on Bertha. She was dead as dirt, the bullet in her head made that obvious. As she tilted Bertha's head to the side, holding the dead woman's chin between her thumb and index finger, she examined the bullet wound. Fatal, quick. Too good for her, for sure. She just dropped Bertha's chin recklessly, anger clear in her fingers. She stood up and made her way over to the bald man, who was checking on the man's body. He checked for a pulse, his eyes already knowing what he would find. Dead. They didn't even need to check the redhead. Blood pooled far from her corpse, her body's worth spent all around her. They didn't pick up the bodies, or move them, they just closed their dead eyes and walked towards Beltway.

Beltway stiffened as he saw the bald man make his way to Lupo, kneeling at her side and taking her head into his hands. She didn't wake as he checked the gash on her cheek, but she did begin to mumble as he cleaned the wound with some gauze and alcohol. Beltway looked away from them, and up to the blonde woman, who was standing before him, her eyes down to his. She had her hands on her hips, and her face was in a serious stare. He looked up at her, his lips curled in anger as he made up thoughts in his head. Bitch, looking down at him like that. Who was she to treat him like some leashed mongrel? Whore. Women like her were nothing but a waste of space, a mistake just waiting to be erased. He kept his mouth closed, not wanting to let the venom spew forth and get him killed. Behind the woman, Vector came into sight. He made his way to her side, and looked down with her. Beltway huffed as he let his hands curl into fists.

"So, who are they?" The woman speaks up, her words meant for Vector.

"Just underlings," Vector nods towards Beltway, then over at Lupo.

"Underlings? Fucker, I..." Beltway busts, his will to stay quiet too weak to stifle him.

"..." Vector looks at Beltway, his masked glare cutting Beltway off effectively.

"Ok. So, what about her? What the hell was she?" The woman said as she turned around to face the body of the medic.

"Special division." Vector answered simply, refraining for expressing anything else.

"So she's... the same as you?" The woman said, backing away an inch from Vector at the realization.

"Was." Vector replied.

"How do I know you're telling the truth? How do I know there really is a special division?" The woman crossed her arms as she looked at Vector, not willing to go along completely.

"Special division is highly confidential. No one knows who is apart of it, except for maybe the company president, if even. For many agents, special division is merely a myth." Vector walks towards Bertha's corpse, the woman following slowly behind.

Beltway listened the best he could, the blood rushing through his ears almost deafening. His anger was strong, and as he tried to break from his restraints he could hear Lupo speak.

"Special division? That doesn't even exist." Her voice was low and cracky as she must have caught what Vector was saying. Had his words roused her? "And, even if it did, why would they be here? And, why would Command have deserted them?"

Vector turned his head to the sound of Lupo's voice. He looked at the tethered woman sitting on the floor. The blood had stopped flowing from her cheek now, and a white bandage was now taped against it.

"It exists. Only, I was supposed to be the only one from special division here.I hadn't expected to still be expendable." Vector answered his teammate, his words quick and steady.

"But, I only heard about them through rumors! How is it possible that I don't know anything about this?" Lupo's voice strained to get out.

"Because Umbrella didn't want you to know about it, and you'd be shocked how in the dark you really are." Vector's words cut through Lupo's skin, he could tell. He watched as she looked away from him in amazement. "Truthfully, your position as leader was nothing but a ruse, just as my position was a ruse. The real person in charge?" Vector turned back towards the blonde corpse with a nod. "Her."

"How do you know?" The blonde woman asked again, tapping her foot lightly with irritation.

"Only special division agents receive a tracking chip." Vector pulls back his sleeve and exposes his forearm, "I cut mine out earlier to keep them off my tracks. If she was one of them, she'll have one, too."

Vector pulled out his knife and grabbed Bertha's arm, stabbing into it without a second thought. He cut through her leather sleeve and made a large slit before taking his fingers and digging. He searched for a second before pulling out a bloody square, small but big enough to see. He showed the tracking chip to the woman and she took it in her fingers, ignoring the blood still on it. She inspected it closely, recognizing it as a tracker chip. She put it in her pocket and held a finger up to signal for silence as she pressed on the earpiece she had in her right ear.

"Command." She said as she began to walk away from Vector.

Beltway was stunned. The special division actually existed, and they were watching them the entire time. If Vector hadn't put her down, Bertha probably would have killed him and Lupo for their betrayal. He never felt so thankful for his life as he did now. She would have gutted him like a pig. Then he remembered where he was. Even if she was dead, he wasn't out of the woods yet. He was captured, and he knew that whoever that woman was talking to was about to determine what they were going to do with him.

"No, we haven't been able to find anything. They covered their tracks. But..." The woman's voice stopped as she started to continue with the report. "We lost some of the team..."

"Tweed, Dee-ay, and... Willow." The African man said as he walked over to the woman, his fingers to his earpiece, as well.

Beltway watched as the three spec ops members grouped up to talk to command. He couldn't hear what their Command was saying, but he could listen in on the others, and he strained his ears to pick up every word he could.

"Understood. Command, also worth note. We have come across some informants from Umbrella... Correct... As far as we can tell, yes..." The African said, clearly answering questions.

Informants? Funny, Beltway hadn't agreed to do any snitching. They were already taking liberties with having him tied up. They were probably going to torture him for answers, then kill him when they were done. Things were not looking good.

"They came to us on their own." The woman started to talk now. They had stumbled upon their hideout, but she was making it sound like they came looking for them so they could surrender. "One has agreed to fully disclose all knowledge of Umbrella's dealings. Including what exactly happened here. The others, we have restrained."

"I want to help." Lupo's voice broke into the room. Beltway didn't look at her, but watched as the three spec-ops turned to look at her.

"Right," the bald man said as he began to untie the bound Wolfpack "captain". Command must have heard her acceptance.

"Yes, that's two of them. We have one more, though. He doesn't seem as... cooperative." The woman said, her gaze turned towards him again.

"I know we can't be trusted, but I'll watch over him. If he shows any signs of going back, I'll put an end to it. Beltway?" Lupo's voice was beginning to sound rejuvenated. No one wants to be told their job of leadership was just a lie, that they weren't who they thought they were. She was just trying to hold on to herself, and Beltway felt she was, at that point, the only person he had in his corner. He just nodded at her, and everyone seemed to relax.

"We might not have found anything, but I believe that mission is mute at this point. We have three people here who are willing to help tell us everything we were sent here to find out." The woman said. How could she talk like that to Command? If Beltway had taken those liberties with Umbrella, he would have been expended long ago. "Requesting evac, asap... thank you, sir. We'll hunker down and wait in our current position... Signing out." The woman tapped her earpiece, followed by the other two on her team.

So, he was actually going to get out of this hellhole? For a second there, Beltway was getting worried. He watched ass Lupo rubbed her wrists and tried to get up, the bald man giving her a lift so as not to aggravate her injured leg. Once up, she could handle herself, scuffling towards Beltway. The bald man followed close behind, watching her just in case. Then, once next to Beltway, he knelt down and fiddled with the bindings. Once free, Beltway felt the urge to push past him and get to a gun. But, how far would he make it, really? At at what cost? He'd make Lupo look like a fool for trusting him, he'd have to take out the bald guy in his way, who he found himself liking for some odd reason, and then he'd just die before getting to the gun by Bertha's body. The blonde wench may have had a filthy mouth, but she also had a killer eye, and he didn't wanna test it out.

He watched as the bald man stayed next to him, testing him to see if he could be trusted. There was an awkward silence, and as Beltway looked up at Lupo for guidance, he could see the corner of her lips quirk up slightly. And, with that, he looked at the bald man's cautious face and said, soft as he could, "Thanks, hombre."

"De nada." The bald man spoke back as he patted Beltway on the shoulder. "Welcome to the team." He stood up and held a hand out to Beltway, who was still sitting on the ground.

Beltway looked at the opened hand in front of him. What the hell? Team? Were they really going to except him just like that? Beltway couldn't trust himself, so how could they? With hesitation, Beltway put his hand in the bald man's and felt himself loosen up as he was pulled up to his feet. It would have been a cold day in hell before Bertha would have given him a hand, or Four Eyes would have patted him on the shoulder, or Lupo would have given him a smile. But here he was, getting helped to his feet by a stranger, and Lupo still had a grin on her lips. Somehow it looked right on her. Maybe she'd been smiling at him all along, he just couldn't see it under her mask? Just another way Umbrella dehumanized them all. Maybe if he had seen his team's faces, he wouldn't been more prone to helping them. But, then again, probably not. They were all asshole, including himself. But kids are how they are raised, and the Umbrella nursery was anything but kind.

"Name's Harley." The bald man, still holding onto his hand, gave it a shake.

"Beltway." He said as he shook back a bit late.

So, that mystery was solved. Harley. He had a name, and Beltway was given it only seconds after being deemed safe. The other two, he didn't care about their names. But this bald guy, Harley, was working his way into Beltways consciousness with ease. Maybe Lupo wasn't the only one he could trust to be on his side, anymore.

"Alright, for the remainder of this mission, I've been appointed leader." The woman spoke up suddenly, snapping Beltway out of his good feelings. "For you new 'recruits', my name's Party Girl. That mean lookin' biker there is Harley," Harley nodded towards vector, the only one unaware of his name. Surprisingly, Vector nodded back. "And this is Shona." Party Girl put a hand on the African's shoulder. Beltway couldn't stand the sight of Party Girl, but he found it easier to look at the dark-skinned man. He was the mean looking one, not Harley. Shona had a fake eye that looked like death, and a scar that went down his face, a harsh reminder of whatever it was that took his sight in that eye. Scars, he could relate. Beltway could feel a phantom pain in his missing foot. Sometimes he wakes up and gets out of bed and falls right on his face, because he always used to put his weight on the foot that was blown off. And, if he were to be real still, he could feel the muscles in his calf flex, and his toes spread apart, like they were still there. Beltway just tapped him metal appendage against the floor, trying to stop the pain that his nerve endings were so prone on keeping.

He noticed Harley look down. The biker was still next to him, not moving since taking his hand away. He didn't say anything, though. He just looked back at Party Girl, who had yet to finish talking.

"It shouldn't be long before we get an evacuation. So, we just need to sit around a wait for it. Pretty cut and dry." She said, her voice loud in the expansive warehouse.

Then, a twinge came on Beltway's temple. It was subtle, but present. And he wasn't sure why it was there. It was something he'd developed since getting involved with Umbrella, a subconscious warning mechanism. It said, "Wake up, fuck face. Shit's about to go down."

"Something's off." Vector spoke out. Beltway looked at the hooded man, shocked that his feeling was being shared by someone else.

"Shit." Lupo cussed, Beltway looking at her, and seeing that look on her face, too. So, he wasn't the only one to develop this little psychic forethought. All three of them had it, so it could only be one thing.

"That chip. Did you destroy it?" Vector looked at the blonde woman. She just furrowed her brow in confusion and looked at him, slapping her pocket that housed the chip.

"No way, Sugar. Gots to keep it for evidence and such." Her serious voice had vanished, and that irritating southern shit had come back. It made Beltway's flesh crawl. "Why?

"Its a tracking chip. That means..." Vector started to say.

"They know exactly where we are." Lupo finished.

And, with that, the sound of glass breaking echoed throughout the entire building. Up near the ceiling there were small windows that extended across the entire structure, and it was through these that grenades were thrown inside. Most were thrown far away, but a few had landed nearby. Flashes burst out. Flash grenades. Preliminary assault tactics. Blind them then throw in the real damage, and the further sounds of breaking glass were showing that strategy to be true. Beltway watched as Shona dived next to a crate for cover, and as Vector grabbed Party Girl's arm and pulled her with him towards a table, which he toppled and crouched behind. They were safe as the explosions began to ring out, but what about him and the others?

Beltway could see a few grenades rolling towards him. He wasn't too worried for himself. He was cloaked in thick flame retardant and blast absorbing material. It was hot as hell, but he was protected. That was more than he could say for the others, though. Harley looked caught off guard, looking all over to see what was happening. And, looking over at Lupo, she was stuck against the wall. Aware of what was happening, but too slow to make any effort to take shelter. In a split decision, Beltway grabbed Harley's wrist, and pulled him towards Lupo, sticking them together, and pressing them against the wall, with his body blocking them from the deadly explosions that were all around. "Fuck!" He could hear Harley yell as the blasts got closer and closer. Luckily, Beltway was a big guy, so his body covered the other two with little effort. As the explosions lessened, and then ceased altogether, Beltway stayed put for a second. The bombing was over for the moment, the troops outside sure they had killed many, if not all, of them with the element of surprise. Little did they know, though. They weren't just dealing with the government. Beltway was keen to their ways, much like Vector and Lupo, and they weren't going to die by their own strategies.

Beltway could hear cursing behind him as the others regained their footing and began to devise an attack plan. He started to release Lupo and Harley from his blast-proof cocoon when he looked down at Lupo's face. She'd been covering her face with her hands, but as she began to remove them, she realized she was still alive.

"Beltway?" Lupo questioned as she looked at the wall that had protected her.

"What? Thought I was just gonna let you get blown to bits? Not happenin', Mami."

Harley wasn't as quick to recover. He still had his arms over his face as Beltway began to move away. Beltway just laughed to himself at the sight. The guy was still seeing his life flash before his eyes, and hadn't yet realized he'd been given a second chance. That was the same feeling Beltway had when he'd blown off his leg. A stubborn resistance to the idea that he was still alive and breathing.

As Beltway began to turn around and take a look at the damage, he felt a sharp pain down his back. Falling to a knee, he hissed at the sensation running down his back. The blasts had torn through enough of his armor to leave his back battered and bleeding. Not too bad. If he didn't have it, he would have looked worse than Humpty Dumpty. At that, he watched as Harley woke up from his daze, and knelt down beside him. "Damn, Brother." Harley's voice was a bit shaky, but he stayed strong. A true medic. Alive only when coming to the aid of others. Beltway clenched his teeth as Harley's gloved fingers moved across his exposed back. But, though there was pain, he knew it would only be temporary. A dizziness began to creep through his body as he knelt there. He couldn't see his back, but he must have been bleeding quite a bit. As he began to falter he felt Harley wrap his arms around him and lift him to his feet. "You're alright, Slugger. I sprayed ya with some hemorrhage blockers. Just gotta prop ya up and let you rest for a minute."

Beltway let himself be carried, and could feel his mind settling at the explanation Harley gave. Ignorance can be bliss, but sometime it'll kill you, and now that he was told he was going to be alright, he could already feel his strength returning. The pain was beginning to leave, Harley clearly having given him some morphine amidst the other medical applications.

"I'm okay," Beltway said, taking himself back from Harley's grip. He stood up and twisted his arms, testing the pain in his back. All gone.

"You saved my life, man." Harley said, his voice still wavering in pitch.

"Every dog has his day, I guess." Beltway let Harley's words drift away, not wanting to think about how much he had changed in just the past couple of minutes. Before, he would have said, "Fuck em." But now he felt a vested interest in their continued survival, and he wasn't exactly sure why.

The sounds of footsteps were getting louder from outside. Umbrella forces were upon them, and they were clambering to get inside. The main entrance was blocked with a few boards, meant to keep out the infected, but momentarily serving a double purpose. The pops of gunfire were heard from outside, the soldiers clearing out the wandering infected as they neared the entrance. Beltway couldn't speak for Vector, but he knew that he and Lupo were sitting ducks. They were forced to abandon their weapons, and he had long since run out of supplies of his own. They needed to get guns, fast. Beltway looked for the bodies. Most had been blown to bits from the grenades, but the one he was looking for was still there, albeit blackened. The red-haired woman, what was her name? Well, her hair was gone now, but her body was still intact. Demolition. She was just as protected as he was, so she was his best bet. Beltway moved from Harley as he made his way to the fallen spec-ops agent. He riffled through her pockets, and inside her jacket. Finding bombs and materials that he was second-nature with. He looked up at Harley, who was watching him with a furrowed brow. Perhaps he'd gone about getting the supplies in too harsh of a fashion, just sticking his hands here and there without thought. He felt awkward, but didn't know what to do. He watched as Harley acted out the sign of the cross, then kissed his fingers towards the body.

Beltway stood up and made his way towards a gun that must have been the one Bertha was using. Her body was no longer there, but the gun had just been knocked a few feet away. He checked it for bullets, full except for the bullet's Bertha had used. He placed the gun around his shoulders with the strap, and scanned the room for another gun. There, farther away, was a gun that must have belonged to Dee-Ay, if he was remembering the name correctly. He walked over to it and threw it to Lupo, who was still at her spot against the wall. She caught it effortlessly, and checked it. It was sufficient, as she strapped it around her shoulder, and shuffled towards cover, in anticipation for the breach of the warehouse entrance. Besides tables and crates scattered around, there were several train cars parked on tracks, having been placed there for maintenance prior to the Raccoon City incident. They offered the perfect cover, and Lupo and Beltway both braced themselves against different cars. Beltway watched as Party Girl made her way back up to the roof, and positioned herself behind some crates, watching the door to the roof, and also covering herself from those that would be coming in through the entrance. Vector moved fast, to the other side of the warehouse where the body of the other female spec-ops agent was left undisturbed by the explosions. Shona ran after him, and once reaching him pushed him away. He could hear Shona yell, despite the need to keep quiet.

"What are you doing!" Shona's voice was loud and heated.

"I need her equipment, sorry." Vector said, standing his ground as he waited for Shona to make the next move. "She was your team's recon expert, right? Well, that's my specialty."

"Back off her..." Shona demanded, unmoved by Vector's attempt at rationality.

"Shona!" Party Girl called out from her perch. "We need his help! Willow would have agreed with him, now leave it alone! That's an order!"

Beltway watched as Shona stood there, then turned around and slammed a fist into a metal column, the sounds of the contact echoing throughout the emptiness. Unfazed by the punch, Shona just made his way to the nearest piece of cover, and knelt down, ready for Umbrella to come crashing in. Beltway watched as Vector removed a few things from Willow's body, and snapped them into his equipment. Then, once he was settled, he ran off towards the back of the warehouse. Vector had always been a snake like that, hide then strike when no one saw him coming. And it was only the sound of a body pressing against the metal of the train car behind him that snapped him out of his thoughts. Behind him was Harley, who had finally decided to take shelter. Perhaps he should have taken cover next to Lupo, since she was the one with the limited movability, but Beltway didn't feel the need to complain.

The sounds of the Umbrella troops knocking were starting to chime in. A battering ram slamming against the locked front doors caused them to rattle in their foundation, evident that they weren't going to stand up for long. Beltway could feel sweat break out across his face as he grabbed his gun and clenched his hands around it. He looked over at Lupo, who nodded back to him, then behind him to Harley, who did the same thing. It was now or never.

With a snap, the front doors broke open, and Umbrella soldiers began to flood in like water out of a damn. No one came out of their hiding spot at first, trying to lull the opposing side into a false state of security. Then, all at once, the shots began to burst. It started with Party Girl. Fully concealed behind the crate on the upper level, she was able to easily pick off troops as they entered. Headshots taking them down quietly, and if the others hadn't seen the bodies fall to the floor, they wouldn't have noticed. Then, they shot towards her, but they were just taking shots in the dark, as they couldn't track her down. Then, as they began to cross the boundary of the train cars, the others would shoot them down. Lupo was excellent with any kind of weapon, so with every person she spotted, she downed them effortlessly. Beltway wasn't as effective. He couldn't pull off headshots like Party Girl, or critical hits like Lupo, so he went for the knees. Knock out their knees, then finish them off once they were on the ground. Cost him some ammo, but it kept him alive. As more shots fired out, the numbers began to grow ever out of their favor. To their six, Umbrella had at least fifty more, not to count the others outside that were vying to get inside. Beltway was able to snag a few bullets here and there off of dead bodies, and Harley was keeping close, so as to be there in case Beltway was injured. The two moved from train car to train car, whilst the others stayed in their spots. As an experiment, Beltway tossed out a flash grenade he'd collected from Tweed's body. And as it exploded into the crowd of soldiers, he watched as Shona and Party Girl came out and filled the stunned troops with bullets. Beltway tossed a grenade into the mix, blowing a few into the air that were trapped by the crowd.

"Going in!" Lupo called out, and Beltway was barely able to turn to look at her before he saw her forging her way into the Umbrella forces. At first, they didn't shoot at her. Knowing her as an Umbrella operative, but as she shot at them and killed a few, they became aware of her standing. Defector, worse than scum, doomed to die. Beltway watched as the bullets buzzed past Lupo, and even as bullets seemed to bounce off of her bulletproof armor. She was a tank, and she continued on despite the pain in her leg. As she went, he could see the pain from her wound beginning to overpower her, but before he was able to go in after her, Harley shot at her. At first, Beltway was furious, thinking Harley had shot Lupo with a bullet, but as she stood up straight again, and the pain in her leg seemed to vanish, he realized the truth. Harley'd given her some kind of drug that made her seem invincible. Then, out of the corner of his eye, Beltway saw one of the Umbrella soldiers running behind the others, taking out the stragglers by snapping their necks. Quiet and quick. The thing he must have taken from Willow was able to make him look like one of the enemies, and he was taking advantage of it. With everyone focused on killing Lupo, Vector was able to sweep in and kill at least half a dozen before they were on to him, but as soon as he was spotted, he ran off out of harm's way.

Beltway was able to scavenge a couple of stickys from Tweed, and as he saw how disheveled the Umbrella troops were becoming, he tossed a few at them. Some hit the floor, while others stuck to bodies. And, as the soldiers noticed what was stuck to their various body parts, they began to panic. Once exploding, the bombs took out several of them, those that had the bombs stuck to them, and all of the people standing near them. That was all he had, though. No more bombs, and the bullets he was gathering could not keep up with what he was using. Once spent, Beltway cursed to himself as he fell back into cover. No bullets, and not even a pistol to do anything with. He was screwed. "Here," Beltway was heard Harley speak up, holding out his gun to Beltway. "I've never been much of a pistol guy." Beltway took Harley's side arm with glee and quickly aimed back into the growing heap of Umbrella soldier's bodies.

Above him, he could hear pounding on another door. The door to the roof was being kicked in, and as soon as it was leveled, more troops came rushing in. Party Girl shot into those that entered, forcing her to keep her attention there, and thus keeping her from aiding in the fight downstairs. Beltway watched as Lupo ran back behind cover, bleeding more from various knicks, and holding onto her side. Someone got her, and she was clearly gushing blood from the wound. The scent of blood was saturating the air, and Beltway could see the growing hordes of infected that were pushing through the entrance to try and get at the smell. Umbrella troops shot them down, but a few were getting overcome, and others were sucumming to infection that they had contracted at some point in the fight. Beltway looked over at Shona, and noticed him shooting darts into the mass of people, and as they found their homes into the soldiers' bodies, they soon crumbled over and began twitching, as infection began to cloud their senses. With the infected troops clawing at their own, and the infected from outside breaking in with a feverish hunger set off by the stench of death, the numbers were beginning to dwindle.

Beltway looked over at Lupo in time to see Harley shooting an infected that was trying to get at her. The medic crouched and ran over to her side, and started to look her over, his supplies never seeming to dry up. As the soldiers died, and the sounds of shots firing began to fade away, an eerie silence was left in the wake. Beltway looked at the others, and huffed a sigh of relief. How had they made it through that? After a cursory glance over the battlefield, Beltway felt safe enough to stand up and walk over to Lupo and Harley. Harley worked tirelessly in his efforts to stop the bleed from the bullet wound. Lupo coughed slightly in pain as the biker stitched her up. She wasn't sure, but she thought she was going to make it sure, and as Beltway knelt by her side she gave him a self-assuring nod, easing his mind. Beltway let his shoulders slouch as he stood up with Harley. Lupo was alright, they all were. It had to be a miracle. Then, he heard it.

It sounded like there were a couple of people whistling in the distance. It didn't take long for Vector to yell out in warning. "Watch out!" He screamed, coming out of hiding in order to call out. The spec-ops were looking around cluelessly, but as Beltway thought harder, he was beginning to realize what those sounds were.

"Oh, fuck!" Beltway said as he braced himself. He needed to keep an eye out, because he wouldn't have much time to react when...

From above them a capsule came crashing in through the roof, and jetted down towards where Shona had been taking cover. He hadn't had enough time to escape completely, the impact of the capsule throwing him several feet away, causing Shona to emit a groan of pain. B.O.W.s, and they were the really mean kind, too. Before they had time to react, another capsule came crashing through the roof, this one aimed at where Party Girl had been stationed. She found herself being thrown from the second floor, powerless against the expertly aimed missile drop, which sent the capsule straight through the iron grating, down to the floor beneath. Like he was expecting it, Vector was there waiting for Party Girl as she fell, catching her in his arms and letting her down to her feet safely. Beltway knew that when they dropped those capsules, they had a heat sensing device that positioned their decline, often times landing right on top of someone's head if they weren't expecting it. And, with that principle, three people grouped together was a really bad idea. As soon as Beltway thought of it he heard a third capsule bust through the roof, right above him.

"Move!" Lupo said, as she had already begun to move around the corner of the train car she was leaning against.

Beltway had half a second to see where the capsule was going to land, right where he was standing, before he could throw himself out of the way. Harley managed to escape unscathed, but Beltway wasn't quite far enough. Like Shona, Beltway was knocked away by the force of the impact, causing him to crash against the train car at his side, and breaking off his prosthetic leg. The metal appendage clanked freely next to him as he recovered from the impact. He heard as the first metal capsule hissed open, letting the Hunter inside out. "Shona!" Beltway heard Party Girl call out as the first Hunter moved towards him.

Shona was on the ground, holding onto his leg. Broken, he wasn't getting out of this one. Shona felt himself panic, but tried to stay calm as he pulled out a syringe from a pocket on his chest. He searched for his applicator, but as the Hunter jumped in the air, bringing back a claw to dig into its trapped victim, Shona replanned. He tried to dodge the claw as it came down, but the Hunter was still able to slash into his side before Shona was able to stab the syringe into its arm. The Hunter, still looking at the human, then retracted its claws and turned around as the second Hunter was released from its capsule. Within seconds the two Hunters were fighting, the friendly Hunter stabbing and jabbing at the second Hunter, keeping its attention away from the humans in the room. Then, as the third Hunter was released, Shona struggled to find his applicator. He had one syringe left, and he needed to use it. It was in his pant pocket, and though it was getting hard to breath, he managed to pull it out and load it with the last syringe. He tried to aim at the third Hunter, which was moving towards Beltway, but he couldn't get a clear shot as his view was obstructed by a metal column. He cursed to himself as he tried to scoot himself into a better position, but the pain in his leg and the fresh wound from the Hunter stab was taking him over. He had to stop, his head was beginning to get Hunter, it must have got him in the lung. It hurt to breath, and every time he exhaled he coughed, blood filling his mouth.

Beltway watched in horror as the hunter came running for him. Hunters, they just loved to put salt in the wound by going after the helpless. Whatever, better him than Lupo. At least she was out of sight, or else the Hunter would surely be going for her. He could hear shots as Harley tried to get the Hunter's attention, but it was to no avail. The Hunter had a taste for cruelty, it was a part of its DNA. In classic Hunter style, it jumped into attack, and swung at Beltway, but as the claw came down, Beltway recovered his metal leg and blocked the Hunter's claw. Aggravated, the Hunter tried again, but was deflected by the metal again, and again with each attack. Then, Beltway noticed a syringe pop into the Hunter's arm, its thick hide proving no match for the sharp, stainless steel. The Hunter stopped attacking, and set its attention to the other two Hunters, of which were still fighting to the death. Beltway looked over at Shona, and noticed Vector holding the applicator, while Party Girl began to look at Shona, who wasn't moving. As the Hunters fought, Harley rushed towards his fallen teammate. His job was never done it seemed, and Beltway could hear him cuss as he looked at the damage.

Collapsed lung, any idiot could see that. Harley could help the pain, but didn't have the supplies for such a complicated problem. It wasn't the end of everything, though. People have survived with a collapsed lung, Shona just needed to stay still and hold tight for the evacuation, but as Harley checked his pulse, he could feel it getting weaker and weaker, and he had his eyes closed as he was beginning to drift off. "Stay with me, Shona." Harley said as he tapped at his partner's cheek, causing him to open his eyes drunkenly.

"Come on, Sweet Cheeks. Don't give up on us..." Party Girl said as she knelt down, putting her knees under Shona's head in order to elevate it.

"Willow... Baby..." Shona spoke slowly, blood-stained teeth exposed as his lips curled in pain. "I'll be there soon..."

Before Harley had time to check Shona further a howl of death rang through the warehouse. The one Hunter had been slain, and the first had already died from its combat wounds, but the third was starting to regain its composure, its eyes focusing on the first person in its sights, Harley. In an effort to take the Hunter away from Shona, Harley stood up and led the Hunter away, the reptilian hybrid following his every step. Harley aimed his gun and fired as he moved backwards, and as the Hunter jumped forward, bringing back a claw to slice into its prey, Harley dove to the side in escape. As he stood up Vector stepped up with his pistol aimed at the monster, and began shooting. With both of them shooting at the Hunter, the creature struggled with who to attack, and it was this hesitation that allowed the two men to gun it down without much effort. Once down, Harley looked back over at Shona, who was cheated out of an adequate look over, but what he saw caused his blood to run cold. Party Girl just sat there, with Shona's head on her lap, and her hand brushing over his eyes. Harley knew it wasn't his fault, that there was nothing he could have done, but it didn't stop him from cursing himself to hell.

Everyone held their ground, Party Girl staying there with Shona's head on her knees, Harley standing in place while throwing his spent gun to the concrete floor, and Vector just watched Beltway as he struggled to get up on his foot. Vector made his way over to Beltway quickly, and grabbed a hold of him to help him up.

"Thanks, Vec." Beltway said in appreciation. No longer did he look at his teammates with suspicion. That was all in the past.

"Your leg..." Vector said, his voice gruff with exhaustion.

"Yeah, it's shot. Can't seem to get a leg that'll last." Beltway's attempt at humor was lost on Vector, but at least he tried. "Ah, dammit." The pain in his back was beginning to come back, irritated by the fall he had taken.

"Don't push yourself." Vector said as he held onto Beltway for a second longer. "You've done a helluva job. Um... Belt." Vector huffed as he patted the other man on the shoulder, then walked away, leaving him propped against the train car.

Beltway watched as Vector walked away towards Party Girl. Belt? Had Vector really just said that? Go figure. He thought he'd changed, but it looked like Vector must have had an epiphany. He just chuckled to himself as he hopped around and made his way slowly towards Lupo, who had managed to edge herself out of the hot seat.

"Hey, Loop?" Beltway said, liking calling his old teammates by new nicknames. "Come on, Mami. Talk to me." But, he heard nothing. A cold sweat broke over his body as he tried to hop faster.

As Beltway rounded the train he saw Lupo fallen to her side, eyes closed. And, just a foot away was an infected man shuffling slowly towards her, his arm blown off, and most of his stomach missing from the exposed cavity. He was just about to get to her before Beltway came into the picture. Luckily for Beltway, he still had Harley's pistol, and it had just enough ammo left to allow him to take down the approaching hostile. Once he was taken care of, Beltway hobbled closer to the downed Lupo. "Harley!" Beltway called out as he let himself fall to the ground in order to get his hands on his partner. She was breathing, but the wound on her side was gushing despite being stitched. She passed out from lack of blood, and it was turning into a big deal quick.

Harley was at their side within a few seconds, pulling out his kit and taking charge of Lupo, allowing Beltway to place his back against the train car as he watched. "Dammit, she tore the stitches when that fucker came through the ceiling!" Harley said, frantic as he looked at the wound on Lupo's lower stomach. She was drenched in blood, which only meant one thing, she had none left to lose. Harley pressed gauze over the wound and pressed. He couldn't risk her losing anymore, so he just kept his hand there, forcing what blood was left to stay inside. "I'm not losing another one!" Harley said to no one, his forehead dripping with sweat as he tried to keep Lupo alive. Her pulse, though weak, was staying. Harley could only hope that they'd be getting out of there soon.

Beltway put a hand to his face as he sighed. Not Lupo, she couldn't die. It should have been him. If it meant she'd pull around, he'd put a bullet right in his brain in payment for her life. He felt defeated as he watched Harley's blood-dyed gloves pressing against Lupo's side. "Just stay with us, Mami." Beltway said to himself as he looked down at her. Her chest was still rising with breaths, so that settled his mind, but he couldn't let it go. Beltway let his head rest against the train car as he closed his eyes. He couldn't watch anymore.

He could hear the blood rushing in his ears, the suspense forcing his heart to beat fast. Then, the blood in his ears started to give way to something else. A rhythmic, spinning sound cutting through the air was coming from outside. Evacuation? "Got it." Harley said, as he placed a bloody hand on his earpiece. "That's our ticket outta here, partner."

Beltway watched as Harley placed his arms underneath Lupo's legs and back, leaving the bloody gauze over her wound in hopes that it would help keep the blood inside. Beltway knew he would need help getting up and to the helicopter, so he just stayed where he was for someone to come to him. He watched as Vector came towards him again, then behind him, Party Girl. Beltway still didn't like her, her very sight bringing the blood back to his ears. But, as Vector and Party Girl both grabbed an arm and helped him up, he had to stifle his disgust. Vector and Party Girl placed his arms around their shoulders and carried him, his foot still against the ground, but dragged more than used to walk on.

"Damn, you're heavy." Party Girl said with a grunt as she struggled to support Beltway's weight.

"Humpf..." Beltway bit his tongue.

Once inside the helicopter, Beltway was able to sit down and relax. Harley stayed on the floor of the helicopter with his hands against Lupo's stomach, who still hadn't roused. Beltway looked over at the others. Vector just sat there, staring out of the window as the helicopter began to take off. Then, he watched as Party Girl sat close to Vector, not quite close enough to touch him, but close enough to get his attention. She said something, but the wurr of the helicopter drowned out her words, but as soon as she was done, she placed her head on Vector's shoulder. He just looked at her for a second, then turned his gaze back out the window.

They survived. Beltway couldn't believe it. As he looked back at Lupo he could only hope she would make it to wherever they were being taken, so that they could save her. And what would happen when they got there? Would they be taken care of? Taken to a medical center? Or just shot in the head? Sure, they were needed for information, so maybe they'd just be tied up and questioned for hours. Break their fingers for information they didn't have, and then let them die after they were done with them. He wasn't sure, but at the moment he couldn't be bothered with it. He just let his eyes close as he got lost in the motions of the helicopter. Maybe he wouldn't be alive in a few hours, but he was alive now, and he was beat. So, he let his mind wander until he was away from everything.


	5. Epilogue

She wasn't the kind of girl to let just anyone into her bed at night. Most of the times she embraced the company of a suitor, it was for information. In the old days, before the government coerced her into joining their special forces by cutting her a fat check, she would work for wealthy individuals with their own private agendas. Or better, for herself, cashing in on men's weaknesses by recording everything they would say in the expected comfort of her room. Even before joining the special forces, she could afford the best of material possessions. She had an extensive mental database of victims that had succumbed to her wiles. Names, numbers, businesses, everything she needed to pull the rug out from underneath crooked corporate fat cats if they doubted how serious she was. They never did, and so, she was always flush. Her bed was like a spider's web. All those that entered it never really got out again.

Vector was different, though. She didn't lure him into her chambers, or ply him with liquor to loosen his morals. Once free from Raccoon City, and only after Vector had given all the intel he had agreed to give prior to the evacuation, she was given a vacation, and he was given freedom. Considering that most of her team was killed in the line of duty, the government saw it necessary to give Party Girl a lengthy break, all her time off paid for and then some, because not only was she a survivor, she was the one that 'captured' and 'convinced' Vector to give the information that the Raccoon City mission was dependent upon. Vector didn't say anything to the contrary. He agreed that she subdued him, and that through her negotiations he agreed to divulge anything the government wanted to know in respect to his past employer. And, as soon as they were alone, she felt the need to keep Vector close. He wasn't the type to set up in a classic ranch-style house framed with a white picket fence, and neither was she, but she knew better than to expect him to linger. The fact that he stayed with her after being released from questioning was a surprise, but she knew not to test his generosity.

"You told them I caught and convinced you to cooperate?" Party Girl said as she spoke to the still masked Vector. "I couldn't believe it when I first heard, but I guess it's true. I _did_ get you to work with us." She smiled at Vector, a slyness that he'd all but expected to see plastered on her face.

"Right." Vector's responses were always sparse and quickly delivered.

Had he saved her life? Party Girl thought back to Raccoon City, and could remember Vector throwing her to the ground. Their first interaction, him disarming her and sweeping her off her feet. She knew she hated him at the time, but in thinking about it, it only brought a warmth to her face. Then, he did protect her from the bombs, and once she was thrown from the second floor, he was there, arms open, to catch her. Maybe the fall wouldn't have killed her, but it surely would have broken something, and then she would have ended up like Shona, on the bad end of one of the B.O.W's claws. So, as she thought about it, he did save her. Multiple times, in fact. Then, to give her all the credit on his capture and cooperation, he deserved more than she could give him. And, what's better, he was so clearly not asking for anything. Instead, he reported to her once freed from interrogation, and she took it upon herself to, at least, treat him to dinner.

She didn't take him to a restaurant, though. He wouldn't take off his mask, and she wasn't going to expect the public to eat nonchalantly while a man that looked like death sat at the next table. Instead, she took him to her place. The top floor of a newly constructed high-rise condominium complex, with a view looking over the whole city, hundreds of miles away from Raccoon. The government set her up with a fully-furnished and ready-to-move-in place to live, so all she had to do on her first night was decide what she wanted delivered.

"Pick your poison. Chinese, Italian, or just pizza?" Party Girl said as she looked at a few menus spread across her new coffee table. When she looked at Vector and didn't hear a response she felt her throat begin to close. She watched as he moved closer, slowly, so as not to overstep his boundaries to quickly. She wanted to turn around, to go on with the plan and order something to eat, but as she began to feel his warmth radiating against her skin, her mind let go of all rational thought. What was she doing? Sitting back and letting him make the moves? No way, that wasn't her style. "Look, skipping to dessert is going to ruin your..." But before she could finish he was on her. He pushed her hard onto the coffee table, the menus and the vase of flowers that had yet to be noticed crashing to the floor, and as she felt his hands move over her she couldn't resist giving in.

They existed like this for weeks, and every time it was the same. She learned his ways, that he was there one minute and gone the next. He would be with there for the night, and by the time she woke up in the morning he was gone, the smell of his musk hardly saturating the sheets. It was the perfect relationship for her. Nothing too confining, or serious. Sure, she enjoyed his company, and she did feel her heart speed up whenever he walked into the room, but she wasn't the type that wanted to admit she might, eventually, want something more. Maybe one day he'd surprise her, and say he might want the same thing at some point, but she wasn't going to get to the point where she was holding her breath. If the time came, then she'd confront the problem head on, because love for her could be considered as nothing but a problem that she would have to deal with.

"Sienna," The sound of her name was comforting as it roused her. "Sienna, we have to go. Now." Vector's voice was hushed as he shook the sleeping frame that was still bare from a few hours before.

"V? What's... goin' on?" Party Girl questioned groggily as she sat up on her elbows.

"Remember how I said to always be prepared? Well, it's time." Vector looked at the bedroom door cautiously. There was not a sound to be heard, but that didn't matter, he knew what was going on. Vector had warned Party Girl about Umbrella, saying that they wouldn't just roll over. They didn't get to the position they were by letting go of loose ends. And as it stood, Vector was one, big piece of fraying string just waiting to be snipped.

"Oh, shit... Think I got time to get dressed?" Party Girl said as she sat up with the sheets held to her breasts. She eyed her nightie crumpled on the floor next to her feet. She watched as Vector braced himself against the wall next to the bedroom door, his ear pressed, listening. He just nodded, no. "Great." She grabbed the nightie and slipped it over her shoulders in a matter of seconds. It wasn't the best outfit to wear when confronting god-knows how many Umbrella soldiers, but it would have to do. Luckily she was wearing underwear, as the fabric of the nightie was just a sheer black, except for the top which was solid. "Glad you had time to get dressed. No need waking me up earlier."

Vector ignored her as he raised a pistol next to his head, readying himself. Party Girl reached under the mattress, pulling out a knife and a holster, which she strapped onto her thigh. Then, without skipping a beat, she opened the bedside table and pulled out a gun of her own. Sure, Umbrella had the numbers, but Party Girl had Vector. Easily, he was the best troop Umbrella had, and now he was there on her side. No way they would stand up against him, and not to mention she was an incredible shot herself. As Party Girl loaded her pistol and cocked it in anticipation, she looked outside through the bedroom window. It was dark, and the city sparkled below them. There was no escape. They were going to shoot their way through whoever was out there, and they weren't going to ask any questions. She took a deep breath as she braced herself against the wall on the opposite side of the bedroom door. Vector nodded, and Party Girl reached for the door knob, holding her breath in suspense.

Once the door was opened Vector rushed out first, and was met with a flash, then the sounds of shots. Diving to the side, Vector found cover behind a couch, while Party Girl stayed back, waiting for a break in the action in order to come out into the fray. Party Girl peaked out of the door just enough to see Vector switch on his camouflage, and as she heard the bullets begin to cease, she reached behind her into her dresser, and pulled out a watch, which she hurriedly put on. As she flipped up a small screen and turned it on, she came out into the open. The bright light was still there, floodlights being used to leave them disorientated, but with her watch, she could see through the blinding lights and see where they were, as well as where Vector was so she knew not to fire on him. She watched with her gun positioned next to her watch, and as she saw Vector sweeping in on the left, she aimed at those on the right. The shots rang out quick, and accurate. Right between the eyes, the bodies fell in a rhythmic fashion. She could hear bullets fly past her, and some even gliding through the fabric of her loose-fitting nightie, but she knew the lights were working against the soldiers. The entire wall was clad in mirror, so the blinding lights actually worked against them, confusing them just enough to skew their bullets away from the moving Party Girl.

Shards of glass fell around her feet as the bullets fractured the mirror behind her. While the mirror helped to hide her in a giant glare, it started to prove less helpful as she began to step over broken pieces with her bare feet. She bit her lip as she moved over the glass, blood trailing behind her from her broken skin. Once reaching the balcony, she slipped outside through the sliding door and regrouped. As she hid behind the safety of solid wall, she could hear the sounds of soldiers grunting in pain from inside. She could watch them through the wall with her watch, and she just smiled as she watched Vector shoot his way through them, hidden with a veil of invisibility, his favorite method of sneak-attack. Once he used it against her in the bedroom. She laughed to herself as she remembered him sneaking up behind her while she was in the bathroom brushing her teeth. She almost swallowed her toothbrush as she felt him clutch at her chest. Prick. She checked her clip as she shook her head in thought. Half spent. She slapped the clip back into the chamber as she went back in. Those that were still alive were in a frantic panic trying to find the phantom that was killing them off, that bullets were flying in no particular order. Party Girl crouched down as she moved further in, and placed a few well-timed shots. They'd forgotten about her completely as they saw more men fall, calling out screaming "It's him, over here!" Then, as she shot a man on the other side of the room, more yelled, "No, he's over here!" It was a funny sight, seeing the men turn from side to side until there were none left.

Bodies littered Party Girl's condo. As she stood up she placed her last bullets into the floodlights, shrouding the room back in a comfortable amount of light. Her place was ruined. The furniture was shot full of holes, feathers and stuffing still settling in the air from the turbulence. Parts of the wall where the mirror was stood bare from sections of mirror having fallen off. Every table was either toppled or destroyed from bodies being thrown on top of them. Blood lingered from the wounds on the corpses, still warm. Party Girl couldn't help but brush a hand through her hair at the sight. The pain in her feet was still there, but the adrenaline in her veins dulled the sensation as she walked over to a body and knelt down to take off the mask and look at the face underneath. Then, as she began to pull it off she heard a shot, and felt pain being to soar through her arm. She fell to the floor, her hand letting go of her emptied pistol as it reflexively clutched at the new injury.

"Where is he?" A lone soldier asked, his gun pointed at her head as he cautiously inched towards her.

"Ah! Fuck you!" Party Girl said, blood pouring from her arm and dying her fingers red.

"Tell me where he is!" The soldier pressed on, pointing the end of his gun at Party Girl, threatening to shoot.

Party Girl hissed in pain as she watched someone step out of the shadows behind the soldier. Vector's invisibility had weaned as he approached the Umbrella lug. Party Girl ignored the pain as she let her lips curve into a smile. Softly she gave a kiss to the soldier before she watched Vector kick the man in the back of the knee, forcing him to drop his gun as he found himself in a chokehold. Vector looked down at the soldier in his arms, his knife pressed against the man's throat, then swiped. Party Girl listened as the man gurgled, blood filling his mouth as he tried to breathe. It was her fault, assuming everyone was dead. But, as she watched the last of the Umbrella members die, she felt secure in knowing that it was a mistake she'd never make again.

"Clumsy." Vector said as he looked down at Party Girl, flipping his knife to force the blood from his blade.

"Haha, don't rub it in, Sexy." Party Girl sat up, her hand still holding her arm. "You were right. They were planning something."

"Unfortunately, that's not the end of it either. Expect them to come back as long as we stay like this." Vector said as he sheathed his knife and bent down to take Party Girl into his arms. He saw the blood on her feet, and knew better than to stand her up.

"Like this? Wait, what are you gettin' at?" Party Girl asked, but deep down she knew the answer.

"We are not civilians. _I_ am not a civilian. I know everything about them, and you know what I know. We will never have a life. Sorry." Vector placed Party Girl on a sofa gently. She listened to him, never interrupting. "As long as I am with you, you are in danger. They might look over you in their efforts to get at me, but that's only if I leave."

"Bullshit. Like you said, V, I know what you know. And, though I don't wanna admit it..." Party Girl stopped herself as she reached up to grip at Vector's uniform. "I'll be dead in no time without you. I'm good, but I never heard them coming. You know Umbrella. You _are_ Umbrella. Only you can stand a chance..."

"I'm not going to trap you in this kind of life. You have the government, they'll..." Vector felt the hand clutching at his jacket, but didn't bother to hold it.

"They'll let me die, like they did tonight. If you weren't here, I'd be dead." Party Girl cut Vector off as she stood up, despite the pain of the glass still in the sole of her feet. "Umbrella is bigger than the government. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if they got my address from a mole on the inside!"

"It's possible." Vector didn't deny the thought. She was right. Umbrella was bigger than the government. If Umbrella had a mind to, they could kill the president without so much as breaking a sweat. He hadn't said anything to her, but he knew that her division had stumbled upon something too big. They had the best of intentions, but there were moles, and rats, and every kind of rodent that was connected to Umbrella nestled in the inner workings of the government. If Party Girl had been smart, she would have severed all ties with him once getting out of Raccoon City. But, like the rest of her team, she was reckless. Powered by emotion, and it was this emotion that was beginning to encompass Vector. He wanted to leave her, drop her like a hot potato and get the fuck out of dodge. But, he couldn't. He was addicted to her, even if he couldn't say it in words.

"So, you know it. I'm screwed." Party Girl said as she leveled her eyes with Vector's, and even though she couldn't see them through his mask, she knew his eyes were looking right into her's. "But if we stick together. Hell, I might just have a chance." Although it hurt, Party Girl lifted her hands, the muscles in her injured arm trying to protest. She placed her hands on the sides of Vector's face and pulled him down, so that her lips could meet his mouthpiece.

The sounds of sirens could be heard from down in the streets, but Vector ignored it for a moment as he let Party Girl stay there, with her lips on him. He imagined kissing her back without his mask, the taste of her on him. Did he want to her to die? No. And she was a smart girl, so he knew she was right. If he left, she would die. As she wrapped her arms around his neck he let the muscles in his loosen as he placed his hands on her hips, and pressed harder onto her lips.

* * *

It was rough at first. She needed a blood transfusion to compensate for everything she had lost, leaving her so weak she couldn't even lift her hand without it falling in exhaustion. Due to overexertion, she'd lost a lot of fluids, leaving her dizzy and unsteady. Even with her head flat on the bed she felt like she was out at sea. The doctors worked with her, though. They dug out the bullet in her side with little complication, and once the new blood had filled her system she could feel her senses coming back. She didn't see any of the others after being admitted to the hospital. She knew Beltway had his own injuries to recover from, and that Vector had to be taken into questioning immediately, so she expected to see them later. She was going to be questioned, too. It was just a matter of time. Unlike Umbrella, though, the government seemed to have some courtesy. They didn't batter her with endless talking the second she was brought in. In fact, she was allowed to rest and recuperate for nearly a week before they had someone come in to talk to her, and even then the first questions out of the man's mouth were, "How are the wounds healing up?" and "Have you had any visitors? Your friend has been eager to see you." It was so unlike what she had expected that she didn't know how to react.

The man asked her questions about Umbrella, and she told him everything she knew, and followed it with an explanation that a lot of what she thought she knew turned out not to be true. He just nodded his head, understanding. The information that was going to be useful in determining everything needed in terms of connecting the truth to the events of Raccoon City couldn't be limited to just one person, because as it stood, Raccoon City was nothing more than a smoldering pit amidst a sprawling forest. They needed every viewpoint they could get, no matter how small and ill-informed.

She said how she was recruited in France. How she was trained, where their bases were, and who she remembered seeing. Of course, she never heard anyone's name. Umbrella thrived in code names, so traces would be impossible to draw. Once Lupo had given every bit of information she could, they let her go. She hadn't actually killed anyone that wasn't infected, even if they would have had they seen anyone. Sure, they destroyed information, but what she had burned she told them about, so the data wasn't truly lost. She might have been associated with a corrupt corporation, but she was just a small fry. They wanted the guys at the top, and didn't want to punish the underlings for helping.

Once deemed healthy, it wasn't long before Lupo found herself approached by members of the government's special division, the group that oversaw the operations of the spec-ops. They wanted her, and really who would be better to confront Umbrella with them? As it stood, Lupo was trapped in America. She had been transported into the United States illegally in order to oversee the Raccoon City mission, but now that she was on her own, she had no money, and nothing stopping her from getting deported. While the idea of getting to return home and see her children was weighing on her mind, she knew better than to snub the opportunity.

The government agreed to give Lupo time to decide, though. Once released, they set her up with some money for boarding and food, wanting to do what they could to encourage her to take them up on their offer. After giving her a number at which she could get in contact with them at anytime, they set her free. As Lupo traversed the streets of a new city far away from the horror of Raccoon City, she couldn't help but breathe in deeply, lost in thought. She hadn't seen any of the others still, and really, she didn't want to. She wanted to forget about everything, including them, even if Beltway had tried to see her while she was in the hospital. She wanted to be on her own. Maybe she'd try and get in touch with him one day, but not anytime soon.

Weeks passed in what seemed like days. The money she'd been given for board and food was really more than just that, allowing her to take advantage of the city by buying clothes that were more up to her speed. Back in France, she wouldn't be seen without a pair of jeans, and she couldn't help but wear them every day since getting out of her uniform. What surprised her the most, though, was that she spent everyday shopping. One day it would be for a new pair of boots, the next for a nice low-cut top to accentuate her chest. And today? She had her eyes on a brown, leather jacket. Tough looking, and slightly androgynous, but ever-so her style. She bought the clothing despite the knowledge that she hated to 'sport'. Shopping had always been something her mother had tried to instill in her, but she'd resented it. She wanted guns and knifes, not handbags and jewelry. But, as it turns out, nearly dying changes a person. So, as she handed over the cash to the woman behind the counter, and shrouded her shoulders with the new leather jacket, she knew she couldn't go back. She needed to accept the government's offer. She was going to join them and fight, she just needed to get to a phone.

Lupo jingled change in her hand as she entered a phone booth on the sidewalk outside of the store, feeding the money into the slot before dialing the number she had, by that time, memorized. As the phone rang she watched the public outside. Cars passed, some honking, and others pulling to the side to let out passengers.

"Thank you for calling. How may I direct your call?" A woman's voice spoke up, catching Lupo off guard.

"Yes, give me the colonel, please." Lupo's gruff voice spoke into the receiver.

"Yes, Ma'am. Just one minute." The woman said before pushing a button and filling the phone with the kind of calm, plain music one might hear in an elevator, or in the lobby of a hotel.

Lupo's heart beat fast as she waited for the call to be answered. This was it, this was her new life, and as she felt her arms brush against the sleeve of her new jacket she knew it was the right move. She could see herself in the reflection of the telephone booth. Her face had healed nicely, no marks or scars left behind. Her jacket hugged her nicely as it hung open, exposing the soft, white cotton top underneath, which was cut in such a way that her cleavage was all but unnoticeable. Her jeans were a little unlike her, bedazzled on the sides with rhinestones that went in a flame pattern down her thighs. Then, on her feet, her new favorite pair of brown boots, which a little more than an inch of a heel. The heel was thick, so she wouldn't twist her ankle, but it still clicked when she walked. The sound used to annoy her, but now that she had a new lease on life, she found the sound acceptable. Yes, she was going to enjoy herself, for once in her life. And then she'd get to see her kids, even if they might not want to see her. They'd come around, she knew it.

Past her reflection the city went on, with a police car parking next to the curb, its lights off and unassuming. The officers left the car and nodded to citizens as they walked past, smiles on their faces and fingers tilting the rims of their hats down. Lupo enjoyed the music more than she should have, high with hope and excitement. She watched as the policemen walked closer and stood outside of the booth, smiles still on their faces. "Whenever you're done, no worries." One said into the booth as they stood outside, Lupo having neglected to close the door behind herself.

"Just one minute, Officer." Lupo said as she smiled and turned to look at the telephone. She watched the officers in the reflection as she stood with her back to them. They chatted to each other, one laughing at the other as he told a story from earlier in the day. The colonel hadn't answered yet, but Lupo wasn't going to let it bother her. No sense in wishing for something that was out of her control. She looked at the reflection again and watched as one of the cops pulled a cigarette out of his shirt pocket and brought it to his lips. Lupo wished she hadn't quit all those years ago, because every time she saw one she felt the urge come to her fingertips. Then she felt the world begin to slip away, the cop that was holding the cigarette now putting it away. First, all sound vanished, the hold music drowning out along with the sounds from the street. Second, her legs gave way, causing her to crash to the floor of the booth, the phone dangling on its cord as it banged against the plastic of the walls. Finally, as she felt the hands of the cops begin to lift her from under her arms, she was helpless as her eyes began to close. Soon, all was black as she felt herself being carried somewhere, the officers placing her in the back of their car before getting in and turning on the lights. If she was able to open her eyes she would have seen the second cop turn around to look at her through the fenced wall. And, if she could have heard anything, she would have listened to him as he spoke into his walkie-talkie, "We got her."

* * *

"She's gonna pull through, buddy. Now, get some rest." Harley spoke as he stood over Beltway, his hand on the other man's shoulder.

"Fuck, man." Beltway said as the news worked its way through his brain. He had been worried for hours about Lupo. Her face had absolutely no color by the time they made it to the base, and he thought for sure she was going to die. "I'm not used to hearing good news..." Beltway looked in the corner for a second, but as he felt Harley grip tighter onto his shoulder, he looked up into the biker's eyes.

"That's all you'll be hearin' from here on out, compadre." Harley's voice was sincere as he spoke to the other man. He looked into Beltway's face, being able to see it for the first time since the doctor's removed his mask. "Just wish I coulda been the one to help her get to where she is."

"Hey, if it hadn't been for you, she'd be dead, for sure." Beltway watched Harley on the ride to the base, seeing as the man with tattoos never left his fallen teammate's side. He knelt next to her through the whole ride, his hands pressed against her wound, keeping the life inside of her. "Don't count yourself out, bro."

"And, she wouldn't have even made it that long if you hadn't blocked her from those bombs. Me, neither." Harley said as he placed a hand on Beltway's arm, pushing him gently, wanting him to move to the side so he could see his back. "As far as I'm concerned, I haven't repaid my debt. They wouldn't even let me work on your back."

"I'm no debt-collector. People like me don't deserve any kind of payment. If you knew everything I've done..." Beltway said as Harley looked at his back. It hurt to move, but it was nothing he couldn't stand.

"Don't waste that shit on me. I've got my own list of bad moves. We just gotta move forward. Fuck all the rest." Harley said, letting Beltway go as he noticed the other man wincing through the pain. "I'm gonna let you rest up. When they get done questioning you, get them to call me." Harley left the room without another word, Beltway watching him as he left.

Beltway did as he was told, telling the interviewer that he'd like to speak with Harley before he left. As far as he was concerned, the questioning was a joke. He knew nothing, other than some basics that he knew they'd get from Lupo, let alone Vector. And, when they discussed him joining them, despite him having had a previous, and negative, record with them, he just laughed in their faces. No more. He was done with the military. All he wanted to do was get a little place somewhere in the desert, and surround his compound with landmines, keeping everyone out, and giving him the space to play with whatever explosives he wanted. They didn't persist in asking him, agreeing with him in some form when he said he wasn't right for the program.

Once he met with Harley, he asked him if he could see Lupo, who was still stuck in the hospital in critical condition. He'd been released in just a few days, but she was a lot more banged up. All he needed was a new leg, and then they let him go. His back was going to heal, no big deal about that. He walked unsteadily on the new prosthetic, having become accustomed to his custom-made and fitted metal appendage. But, he wanted out, and didn't have the patience to wait for another one of those. So, he followed Harley to Lupo's room, and as soon as he saw her he stopped dead in his tracks. She was sleeping, and he couldn't help but listen to the beeps of the machines connected to her. She was fine, he knew it, but it didn't make the image of her in the bed any less unsettling. He could have gone in, and sat next to her for a while, but the longer he stood there, the more he felt out of place. That wasn't where he belonged, but he couldn't leave without some sort of closure.

"It was a bumpy ride, Mami." Beltway said from where he stood in the doorway, Harley behind him keeping the door open. "Wake up and don't look back." Beltway turned around and left the room, feeling relieved that he had seen her one last time before he delved into the life of a hermit.

Beltway didn't see his dream coming true so quickly, but it did. At least, parts of it. Harley took him under his wing, telling him that he could stay with him until he found himself a place of his own. Beltway was hesitant, but the lack of funds forced to him to accept the proposition. Harley had received quite a bundle in bonuses after getting back from the mission alive, and since he was willing to put up with him, Beltway was willing to mooch. Then, as they got to spending time with each other, Beltway watched as Harley became less of a temporary situation, and more of something he could deal with in the long run. After just a few weeks, Beltway found himself moving outside of the city where Harley had been living. Beltway had wanted a place away from the humming population, as he was still tormented with the idea of everyone that was in Raccoon City. Sure, he wouldn't have died like all those people did if he were living there, but it would have sucked getting out, that's a fact. When he idly mentioned how he wanted to move out, get into the open land, and be able to finally relax, he was shocked to hear Harley agree with him, even if it were for slightly different reasons.

Harley appreciated Beltway's company. Before he'd gone to Raccoon City, he'd been close with Tweed. While they didn't have anything sexual, there was a close friendship between them that Beltway hadn't been aware of. "I was in shock," Harley said in response to Tweed being killed. "One second she was hittin' on your friend, and then the next... damn." With her dead, Harley was alone. Really, truly, horribly alone. Having been a biker since birth, he'd grown comfortable with the lifestyle, and loneliness was often a part of it, but after having had something, and then losing it, he found himself unable to go back.

Some days Harley would leave Beltway at his place and go riding. With no particular destination, he just rode down the open, cracked roads of the interstates. One day maybe he'd go to Tennessee. Then the next he'd dip into Indiana, places where the roads would just keep going. And every time he got back, he'd flop on the couch, exhausted, and soon Beltway would hobble in on his rickety prosthetic, and ask about his trip. He liked the predictability of it, always having Beltway there to bust a gut with. Of course, Beltway was a surly type, despite not being too old. He was full of piss and vinegar, and more curse words than a New York hustler. But, Harley wasn't too different. They'd cuss at each other, and pretend to fight, but also joke around. And, when Beltway mentioned that he'd been wanting to get out and find a place where even the telephone wires wouldn't reach, he jumped at the idea. The open land and the open road, a match made in hog heaven.

It had been about a month since Beltway was released, and Harley was rewarded with an extended vacation when they found a double wide, and got it dumped out in the middle of nowhere, USA. Beltway couldn't believe who he'd become. Some good 'ol boy right out of the American stereotype. And, added to that, he'd shacked up with a biker who had more tattoos than he had at first thought, and he'd seen every one of them. It was a simple existence that Beltway felt comfortable embracing. He was alone most of the time, which was the beauty part. Sure, Harley was good company, but Beltway was the kind of guy who liked his space, and Harley was the type that needed the wind against his face everyday. It had happened so quick, and sometimes he'd wake up in disbelief, expecting to look outside and see the hands of infected beating against the side of the trailer. But, every time he looked, all he saw was the horizon. He'd already begun hiding mines around the property, passing the time by making bombs out of scratch just to amuse himself, and it never grew old. He'd agreed upon a set path that wouldn't have anything, so Harley wouldn't blow himself up coming in at two in the morning after riding all day, but everywhere else what up for grabs.

Sometimes he'd be sitting in the trailer and hear a blast ring out, and as he would look outside he'd see the pieces of an armadillo raining down, not an unpleasant sight. That meant they were working, and working well, if an armadillo could set them off. So, if some trespasser were to come by, like an infected trespasser, he'd hear them coming. And, enough was never enough. Beltway planted at least one new bomb each day, a ritual that he'd never be able to break.

As Beltway walked out into the dry, desert-like air, he mapped the area for a spot that was lacking. The front was pretty well covered, and the sides would blow up a field mouse if it happened to walk anywhere near it, but the back could use more. Beltway tip-toed around his traps, having a mental map of every device he planted. His leg proved a nuisance, forcing him to step unsteadily on the uneven earth, but he kept a hold of himself. Once far enough in the back, he got to his knees and began to dig. He had a small bomb in his hand, which he placed against the ground. He looked at it as he dug, admiring his handiwork. Who else would be able to do what he does? Nobody, that's who. This was how it was supposed to be.

"This is it? What a joke..." The voice was familiar, and altogether unsettling. Beltway didn't register it as being real at first. The sounds made him jump back in time, and all he could remember was the sight of infected beating at a barred window as he sat in a filthy, abandoned convenience store. "You escape Raccoon City just to hold up in some shitty trailer with the enemy? I always knew you were the dumbass of the team." Beltway didn't turn around to see who was talking, because he was certain it was a ghost. He had to be dreaming.

"How?" The question escaped Beltway's mouth with a dry growl.

"Funny thing about what happened back there. You said I was just a stupid cunt, but you just didn't want to see the truth." Beltway felt a cold sweat break down his spine at the words, and as he turned around to look at who was talking, he couldn't believe his eyes.

Four Eyes stood before him, out of uniform, and in civilian casual, a pair of blue jeans and a grey hoodie, with the hood up. Her face was partially obscured by shadows, but he knew it was her. The sharpness of her jaw, her slight frame, that voice. She had her hands in the pockets of her hoodie, and he could see her fingers fiddling with something. She had him with his dick in his hand.

"Bitch..." Beltway hissed as he studied her, his hatred seething. In response, he watched as she pulled out a small pistol and shot him right in the shoulder, forcing him to fall back onto his ass.

"Go ahead, spew your sexist talk. At least this answers why you could never look a woman in the eye." Four Eyes said as she lowered the pistol, comfortable with her position.

"I just never saw one worth my attention." Beltway retorted, the pain in his shoulder nothing compared to what he expected to shortly receive.

"Clearly." Four Eyes said as she pointed her gun at Beltway and fired, shooting a bullet into his other shoulder. She shook her head, letting the hood fall and expose her. She looked the same, except for her eyes. Instead of the naive girl that he'd deserted back in Raccoon, she looked like a woman who had become hardened, cold and experienced. "Turns out I was right, Beltway."

"Fuck," Beltway cursed at the pain searing through both of his shoulders.

"They were watching us, and I'm the only one who passed." She brought her free hand up to brush a few strands of hair out of her face that had been blown by the wind. "They were just going to send out a hit squad to silence you, like they did for Vector and Lupo, but I demanded to be given the task of taking you out."

"Bitch, what did they do to her?" He gritted his teeth as he looked up at her, failing to see the beauty of her exposed face from the red anger in his eyes.

"They didn't kill her, they just captured her. She'll be of further use as a test subject. Hopefully she's strong, it's so hard to find good traitors to experiment on these days. It's no fun when they just die right away." Four Eyes placed her free hand into the pocket of her jeans as she leaned on one hip. "I have hopes for her, though."

"No way she's going to be some little guinea pig! And, don't think I'm going to go willingly!" Beltway yelled at the Japanese woman, spit falling out of his mouth without a care.

"Oh no, you're not going to be a test subject, don't worry. Everyone agreed with me when I said you might as well just die. You're just some dumbass with no special traits, nothing near suitable for my experimentation table. After all, I'm the new scientist for the special division. I kind of have the say in the matter." Four Eyes smiled at Beltway sweetly as she tapped the gun against her hip.

"God, you fuckin' cunt." Beltway shook his head in disbelief. "I should have bashed your brains in back in Raccoon City..."

"Yeah, I bet you wish you had, since I'm going to kill you." Four Eyes lifted the gun and aimed right between Beltway's eyes. "Oh, and I've taken target practice, so I'm a much better shot now." She started to press the trigger as she hesitated, looking down at the downed man's prosthetic. "Ha, nice leg." And with that she pulled the trigger, sending a bullet right into Beltway's brain.

Beltway fell to the ground, dead, blood running out of his wound to soak the dry soil beneath him. Four Eyes watched as the blood mixed with the dusty ground, the smell beginning to make it to her nose. She sighed deeply as she felt the joy flood her veins. She'd wanted to kill him ever since he had tested her, and thrown her to the floor. Maybe she'd experiment on his corpse, and bring him back as an infected, so that she could kill him again? There were so many choices, but first she needed to settle things where she was. Carefully she turned around and made her way back to the trailer, avoiding the obvious landmines that hid below mounds she had no problem detecting. She was going to wait inside for the member of the government spec-ops and take him out, too. She wouldn't draw it out, just shoot him dead and leave. Beltway was already dead, so she was done wasting time. She wanted to get back to the lab and start working. Life was at an all-time high, and she just wanted to bask in the reverie.

The End


End file.
